Exam Focus: 6-Mark "Evaluate the Use of Stem Cells in Medicine"

📝 Exam Focus: 6-Mark "Evaluate the Use of Stem Cells in Medicine"

This is one of the most frequently set 6-mark extended response questions for this topic. Examiners want a balanced evaluation — arguments for AND arguments against, with a conclusion.

Arguments FOR using stem cells in medicine:

• Can potentially cure or treat diseases that are currently incurable (e.g., Parkinson's disease, type 1 diabetes, spinal cord injuries)
• Can replace damaged or diseased tissue with healthy, functional cells
• Adult stem cells (e.g., from bone marrow) can be taken from the patient's own body, reducing the risk of immune rejection
• Existing treatments (bone marrow transplants, skin grafts) have already saved many lives
• iPSCs (induced pluripotent stem cells) can be produced from adult cells, avoiding the ethical issues associated with embryos

Arguments AGAINST using stem cells in medicine:

• Ethical concerns: Embryonic stem cells are obtained by destroying a human embryo, which many people consider to be a human life
• Immune rejection risk: If stem cells come from a donor rather than the patient, the immune system may attack them
• Tumour risk: Stem cells that divide uncontrollably could form tumours (particularly a risk with pluripotent cells)
• Technical challenges: Controlling differentiation precisely is very difficult; cells may not differentiate into the desired type
• Many potential treatments are still experimental and not yet proven safe or effective in humans

Top tip for 6 marks: Present at least two points on each side, use scientific terminology, and end with a brief conclusion that weighs up the arguments. Do not just list points — try to explain why each point matters.