Astem cell is an unspecialized cell that, when it divides, can make another cell like itself or a number of cells with more specialized functions. Embryonic stem cell research uses human embryos that are destroyed for medical experimentation, including somatic cell nuclear transfer or cloning. Adult stem cell research uses umbilical cord cells, placental-derived cells, and adult stem cells found in blood, bone marrow, and skin, obtained from a patient or family member donor.

In order to create embryos to clone & obtain embryonic stem cells, the research requires the procurement of ova, women’s eggs. The creation of one cloned embryo will require 50-100 human eggs, meaning that millions or billions of eggs could be needed. The increased need for eggs could lead to a heightened health risk for women taking the stimulation drugs to increase egg count and to the possible exploitation of women as their eggs become a commodity.

Cloning is a way of producing a genetic twin of an organism without sexual reproduction. Scientists created Dolly the Sheep in 1996, the first mammal cloned from an adult somatic cell. However, reproductive cloning, Where the created embryo is implanted into a human womb, is banned by many nations. More nations have legalized therapeutic cloning, which also creates human beings in embryo form through cloning, for the purpose of harvesting the embryonic stem cells for growing organs.