The Study of Stem Cell

Look at the people around you. What do you see? They’re different aren’t they? Thanks to Stem Cells that make us different from one another. They are good in that way but they are also breath taking, literally. They kill because if you have certain ones you could have cancer because of them. But now scientists have found a way to study them and stop these life changing diseases. So Stem cells are very helpful and can also be very dangerous.

First off, what are stem cells? Well stem cells are the cells in your body that make us different from one another. Stem Cells have the potential to evolve into different types of cells in the early life and growth stage. Also, in tissue they serve somewhat as a internal repair system, as long as the person or animal is still breathing. Stem cells are the cells in our bodies that make us different from one another. So without them we would be just about the same (Stem Cell Basics).

Next is the big question, can they actually cure diseases? Scientists have been able to do experiments with human embryonic stem cells (hESC) only since 1998, when a group led by Dr. James Thomson at the University of Wisconsin developed a technique to isolate and grow the cells. Although hESCs are thought to offer potential cures and therapies for many devastating diseases, research using them is still in its early stages.They say stem cell research can come to a remarkable finding were they cure the most deadliest disease such as cancer and birth defects but it is too soon to tell (Stem Cells and Diseases).

            Couple with, are there ethical issues? Stem Cells are very good for many different areas of health and medical research, studding them can help learn more about the main medical conditions such as cancer and birth defects Stem cells transform into the amazing cells that make us what we are. Some of the most serious medical conditions, such as cancer and birth defects, are caused by problems that occur somewhere in this process. A better understanding of normal cell development will allow them to understand and perhaps correct the errors that cause these medical conditions (Research Ethics and Stem Cells). On the other hand researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital say they have extracted stem cells from human ovaries and made them generate egg cells. The advance, if confirmed, might provide a new source of eggs for treating infertility, though scientists say it is far too early to tell if the work holds such promise (Study Finds Stem Cells Can Create Human Eggs).

Finally, can stem cells actually help us? Yes they can but they also can’t help us because it is too early to tell if they can work. So next time you judge someone because they have a disorder blame the stem cells. They are the most remarkable things but they are also the most deadly and change people’s lives every day.

Bibliography

"Research Ethics and Stem Cells." 5 May 2011. Stem Cells Information. 17 April 2012 <http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/ethics.asp>.

"Stem Cell Basics." 28 April 2009. Stem Cell Information. 18 April 2012 <http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/basics1.asp>.

"Stem Cells and Diseases." 13 February 2012. Stem Cell Information. 2012 April 2012 <http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/health.asp>.

Closer Than You Thought

The protagonist, in Dark Secrets Don’t Tell by Elizabeth Chandler, is named Lauren. In the beginning she is ten years old when her mother dies drowning in the lake you could say that she was as scared as a prairie dog. At that same time she feels a chill running down her spine. She has dark hair she is like any other teen age girl in the world. The only thing that changes her from the other girls is that she has to deal with her mother death at only age ten. That isn’t the only think she has to deal with in her life. The main character can change the story in a slit second first it is related to one book then bam it changes to another. But her story is very similar to another one.

Coupled with Holly is a tricky person because you look at her and she smiles like an angel but that changes what truly is underneath that smile. She is kind of insecure so when she finds out people are watching her and the flirt of the town Nick starts to like Lauren more and more but is glued to Holly she freaks out. Nora—Aunt Jule’s other daughter—is silent and spooky that doesn’t help the problem anymore. Nora stares at Lauren with frightening intensity. She feels like she is ten again. How can she trust anyone when everyone looks like they want her dead!

Furthermore there are many stories a lot like Laurens, let’s say Harry Potter. Everyone knows his story how he has a dark lord trying to kill him and he already killed his mother and farther. There is one big difference in their stories, Harry knows who is trying to kill him and he tries to fight back and kill the Dark Lord. On the other hand Lauren has no idea who killed her mother and she is just trying to run away from the danger and not face it.

In addition what causes Lauren to act this way is all because of Holly except she doesn’t know that it was Holly that killed her mother. In Harry Potter it has the same cause and effect, where Harry finds out who killed his parents then when he gets older he goes on kind of a blood lust and wants to get revenge. There are many differences in the two main characters and how they act but there are even more similar actions and thoughts.

Likewise the two stories are very similar and basically the same story just different setting and main characters. One more thing to add Harry had an entire castle on his side when Lauren just had one guy that suspected something was wrong. There are many stories that can be so similar and yet there are stories that can be so different. Sometimes you may find a story that is almost exactly like onther.

Bye Bye Nature

The "Big Yellow Taxi" written by Joni Mitchell talks about how "they" destroyed her paradise and put up a parking lot. In "Field Below" written by Regina Spektor talks about the same thing and how you should hold onto the things you love and they both love nature and got it taken away from them. Don’t take things for granted is the lesson she wants to teach us. The mood is sad and depressing in the poem and she is heart broken. They both have to do with nature talking about how they out lost there nature. In the song Big Yellow Taxi and the tone sounds happier then the poem. The tones are completely  different with the songs and poems. The lesson the author tries to teach us to hold on to things and to be happy with what you have. The tone in the song and the poem are very similar because they are both kind of sad and depressing. The songs really help with how the author s wrote the poems kind of because they similar. The Big Yellow Taxi is not the same tone though so she made that confusing. When listening to field below I feel more sad because I get to hear it and how it sounds in a song so it much more sad in a song.

Your Dear Toys

Author’s Note: This poem is a letter from Holly to Lauren after she killed her mother. The toys represent Laurens mother.

The destruction of toys

It was me

That was my fault,

They were your favorite

In the world

They were pretty cool

Forgive me I know you loved your toys

you wouldn't go anywhere with out
I am so sorry
But it was so easy and fun

This is a poem about how Holly killed Laurens mom in the book Dark Secrets: Don’t Tell. It is kind like a metaphor because Holly says in the poem that she destroyed her toys but really she destroyed her mom. It is a parody to This is just to say. There is no rhyme scheme in this poem or the original.

Mother to Son (Response)

The poem Mother to Son is about how a mother tells her son that her life isn’t perfect and his won’t be either, so never give up. She says her life ain’t no crystal stairs. The metaphor she uses to tell her son is “my life ain’t no crystal stairs.” The purpose of this metaphor is to show the kid that a crystal staircase is awesome and that’s not what his mother’s life was it was the total opposite. The main tone in which she is speaking to the boy is soft but firm. She speaks in this tone because she knows she is talking to her son and need to be soft but firm so she can get the point across to him. It is also in a caring tone of voice. Also the main theme is perseverance and get what you want and don’t stop. Nobody’s going to hit as hard as life.

The Protagonist

The protagonist, in Dark Secrets Don’t Tell by Elizabeth Chandler, is named Lauren. In the beginning she is ten years old when her mother dies drowning in the lake you could say that she was as scared as a prairie dog. At that same time she feels a chill running down her spine. She has dark hair she is like any other teen age girl in the world. The only thing that changes her from the other girls is that she has to deal with her mother death at only age ten. That isn’t the only think she has to deal with in her life.

Holly is a tricky person because you look at her and she smiles like an angel but that changes what’s truly underneath that smile. She is kind of insecure so when she finds out people are watching her and the flirt of the town Nick starts to like Lauren more and more but is glued to Holly she freaks out. Nora—Aunt Jule’s other daughter—is silent and spooky that doesn’t help the problem anymore. Nora stares at Lauren with frightening intensity. She feels like she is ten again. How can she trust anyone when everyone looks like they want her dead!

Small to Big

Author’s Note: This is an essay on how Billy changes from the beginning to end of Where the Red Fern Grows.

For starters the story Where the Red Fern Grows is about a boy and his hounds. the boys name is Billy he runs into a lot of trouble. The first problem he solves by becoming a man and buying the hounds he wants. He works his butt off to get the money he wants. He is a dynamic character in many ways.

            To begin with he has the first problem he starts off by just asking for the hounds. Then he learns a great life lesson on the way to getting the hounds he wants. He learns that you don’t get everything you want handed to you; you have to work your butt off to get what you want. He is very mature about the first problem every time there is a problem in the book he changes to solve the problem.

            Again he runs into another problem later in the book is when the two meanest boys in town bet him to see if his hounds can catch the “Ghost Coon” before their hound can catch it. That is a big problem because Billy hasn’t had much time to train his hounds to catch a coon. Then through all the trouble they get into a fight and then one of the boys Rubin comes at Billy with an axe and then he finds out the hounds start fighting to and then Rubin goes after Billy’s hounds with the axe and he trips and falls on the axe. He is now dead and Billy handles it like a boy, and just runs.

            Finally he comes to the biggest problem, a boy could ever face and that is the death of his two hounds. It was a sad day for him because a mountain lion comes out ad kills his hounds. This roblem was a main turning point for Billy. His does were so injured the problem was unfixable. As Billy got older it was sad but he learned to just remember the good times with the hounds and forget the bad.

            To end with Billy was a truly dynamic character in the way he changed and how he adapted to the different problems he came to face. His heart like most of use in the beginning small then it changed just like his life and got bigger. Even though his hounds are now dead he remembers them as how great of pets they were to him. He also won a competition with the hounds. He will never forget Little Ann and Old Dan.

I'm Sorry

Author’s Note: this essay is a letter to Rainie and rest of the Pritchard family from another Billy telling them about how he feels and what really happened to their son and brother Rubin, in the story Where the Red Fern Grows.

Dear Pritchard Family,

I just wanted to say how sorry I am about Rubin’s death. If you want to blame anyone it’s not my fault. Not to be mean but he was a little mean and tried to kill my hounds because my hounds where attacking Old Blue out of self defense. I can't tell you sorry and how sad I feel but I will try my best to help you understand what happened and what I am going through.

To begin with I am very sorry about what happened and I am also very sad about his death. No matter how many times he has been mean to the people in this town I know that he must have been a really amazing person if you got to know him. I always had a feeling that one day he would stand up and tell everyone how sorry he is, about everything he has done to the kids.

Also if you were ever wondering what happened, even though I know you probable already know what happened to him. I don’t know if Rainie told you something else to protect Rubin but here is how I came across this event.  I was walking down the road and then Rainie and Rubin came out and bet to see who would catch the “Ghost Coon” first. I thought my hounds were better and so I took the bet. Then when I found the “ghost coon” my hounds went after it and then they couldn’t get it. Then old blue came out and started to attack one of my hounds, and Rubin came at me with an axe. Then my other dog came out to help against old blue and then Rubin ran over to help old blue with the axe. He was going to kill my hounds, but then right then and there he tripped and he fell on the axe.

At that moment in time I was so scared I didn’t know what to do, so I ran back home. If I could do it over I wouldn’t have, I would have just kept on walking and not taken the bet. Then old blue would have attacked my hounds and then Rubin wouldn’t have gone after my hounds with an axe and then tripped. You don’t know how badly I wish I could take it back. Even running away from the scene I wish I would have stayed and called the cops, or even the ambulance.

Finally I would like to say this is the worst thing that could have happened to parent. I believe that parents should never have to go through this with their child. Like I said I am very sorry about what happened I hope we got our story strait. If there is anything in this world I could take back it would be that. Again I am really sorry about what happened and I know words won’t change anything about what happened to Rubin.

Sincerely,

Billy

Billy

Conflict

Author’s Note: This is a writing piece that explains the conflict in Where the Red Fern Grows. The boy in the story named Billy has to go through many problems but here is the main one so far.

Have you ever wanted something so badly but just couldn’t have because your parents or even you couldn’t buy it? Well then you can connect really well with Billy in the story Where the red Fern Grows. This conflict is person vs. self. All he wants is two good hounds that cost fifty dollars together and that is a lot of money back in this time.

To begin with there aren’t that many solution but Billy is devoted to get the two hounds so he does anything to get them. The first thing he thinks of I think is to work your but off and get that money so he can get the hounds. I believe that if you work hard enough you will get what you want, and if he really wants these two hounds then he will get those two hounds.

Another way for Billy to get what he wants, which is the two hounds. Now not really know what the time period he could start fundraiser for a humane society. Working for them to get money for them and maybe get an even bigger discount on the hounds.

Finally to wrap this up and to be honest there is only one real way to pay for the hounds and is just for him to work for the money anyway he can. It’s not like he can just beg his parent to death and get them to just walk down to a pet store and by them one heck even two hounds. So that is the main conflict of Where the Red Fern Grows, so far there may be more conflicts the more we read on.

Dog-Wanting

Author’s Note: The quote I chose shows what kind of kid this boy is in Where the Red Fern Grows. The quote is in the beginning of the 3^rd chapter.

The main character is a boy named Billy and in the beginning he wanted a dog really badly and the quote I chose is the "dog-wanting disease never leaves me altogether." This quote is an important quote because is leads into the main conflict. How he can’t get the dogs he wanted. So his “dog-wanting disease” became larger and larger.

To begin with this quote shows what kind of boy Billy is. He begs his parents to the point where they just say they don’t have enough money to by TWO dogs, heck not even one dog. It also shows that Billy is just like any other boy in this world. All they want is to have a dog because it teaches leadership and it also could be their best friend, a dog is a man’s best friend.

Also the dog-wanting disease he had was just killing him he had to take action and earn the money to get the two dogs he wants. He starts by working his butt of for two years when he finally got the dogs he wanted. This is a big quote because it doesn’t just say Billy wants the dog he saying it’s a disease and we all know that it’s not really a disease. It also helps us understand what position he is in.