AP Lang and Comp 3rd h.
Miss Clark
Persuasive Speech Outline
Persuasive Speech Outline
I.
Introduction
A. Lizards are able to re grow a tail. (attention grabber)
B. Wouldn’t it be incredible if this ability could also be extended to humans? (Ethical
appeal, what people value) What looks like science-fiction is closer to reality than you think. It is
the realm of regenerative medicine, brought to us by scientists who study stem cells.
C. I believe stem cell research should be further developed. (thesis statement)
II. Narration
A. What are stem cells?
1. They are unspecialized cells.
2. They can become another type of cell with a specific function like a red blood
cell, brain cell, or skin cell.
3. They are capable of dividing and renewing themselves for a long time.
For these reasons stem cells have the potential to treat many diseases such as
diabetes, heart disease and blood disorders if they are injected in the body.
Another function of stem cells is to grow tissue outside the body, in a lab, and
even create synthetic blood that can be used in medicine.
B. Where can we find them?
1. The easiest place to find them and where scientists can find the most are in
embryos.
2. They are also in the umbilical cord of newborns.
3. Adults also have stem cells in smaller amounts, in their bone marrow, skin,
nervous system etc.
III. Confirmation
I am in favor of stem cell research because…
A. It can cure diseases
1. Example of successful treatment of blind patients with retina tissue grown
from embryonic stem cells (Pollack). (evidence)
B. It advances knowledge.
1. The discovery of reverting specialized adult cells back to pluripotent stem
cells that will further develop into different specialized cells. Example of
taking human skin cells and reprogramming them to revert back into stem
cells which in turn are used to create liver cells (Artificial Liver). (Evidence)
2. It also advances knowledge of how healthy cells replace damaged cells in
adults. Example of stem cell infusions which helped heart attack patients to re
grow healthy heart tissue (Brown). (Evidence)
IV. Refutation
A. The fear that injecting stem cells might create tumors.
1. No tumors have been reported after therapies with stem cell. (Pollack)
2. Stem cells can actually be used to destroy tumors. Several hundred mice have
been cured of brain cancer called neuroblastoma by injecting adult mice stem
cells (Kaplan). (Evidence)
B. People are afraid because it is so new.
1. Yes, it is normal to be fearful of the unknown (concession) but for the Chinese it is
not so new, they have performed therapies on many patients because of their
advanced research and also hold international conferences on stem cells.
C. It is immoral to use embryos and to destroy them. (O’Brian)
1. Embryos used for stem cell research come from fertility clinics. The fertilization
of ovula and sperm is done in vitro (in test tubes). A couple donates extra
embryos to research if they wish.
2. If not donated, those embryos are thrown away anyways.
3. When scientists use embryos for research it is not destroying human life, but
rather providing stem cells that could save millions of lives in the future, and that
is morally sound.
4. We can use adult stem cells instead of embryonic for therapies for example. A
synthetic windpipe made in a laboratory is seeded with stem cells taken from the
patient’s bone marrow and successfully implanted to replace the cancerous
trachea (Fountain). (Evidence)
D. This new technology can be abused to gain money or pride.
1. Yes, but this is true of any new technology. Internet for instance can be used for
good or bad. Technology does not have a moral compass. It is only as “good” or
“evil” as the person or society using it (Lanza).(concession)
2. “Human imperfections should not lead society to dismiss innovation”(Lanza).
V. Conclusion
By continuing stem cell research we can:
A. Participate in the incredible advancement in the history of science (regenerative
medicine).
B. Ease suffering, understand and treat disease.
C. The ultimate goal is to take discoveries from the lab to the hospital.
Works Cited
“Artificial Liver Cells Win their Creator Prize for their Potential to Reduce Animal Experiments”.
University of Cambridge, UK. Web. 28 Feb. 2012. 6 March 2012.
http://news.admin.cam.ac.uk/news/2012/02/28/artificial-liver-cells-win-their-creator-prize-for-theirpotential-to-reduce-animal-experiments
Brown, Eryn. “ Study: Cardiac Stem Cells can Reverse Heart Attack Damage.” Los Angeles Times. Web.
13 Feb. 2012. 6 March 2012. http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-stem-cells-heartattack-20120213,0,580619.story
Fountain, Henry. “Synthetic Windpipe Is Used to Replace Cancerous One”. New York Times. Web. 12
Jan. 2012. 6 March 2012. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/13/health/research/surgeons-transplantsynthetic-trachea-in-baltimoreman.html?scp=1&sq=synthetic%20windpipe%20is%20used%20to%20replace%20cancerous%20one&st=
Search
Kaplan, Karen. “Grant Money Could Speed Stem Cell Cure.” Los Angeles Times. Web. 10 Jan. 2010. 6
March 2012. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-stem-cells102010jan10,0,2536499.story
Lanza, Tyler. “The Stem Cell Research Controversy”. Stem Cell History. Web. 1 Feb. 2011. 6 March
2012. http://stemcellhistory.com/the-stem-cell-research-controversy/
O’Brien, Nancy F. “ Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Immoral, Unnecessary, Bishops Say”. American
Catholics. Web. Copyright 2012. 6 March 2012. http://www.americancatholic.org/news/stemcell
Pollack, Andrew. “Stem Cell Treatment for Eye Diseases Shows Promise.” New York Times.
Web. 23 Jan. 2012. 6 March 2012. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/24/business/stem-
cell-study-may-showadvance.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=stem%20cell%20treatment%20for%20eye%20diseases%20s
hows%20promise%20&st=cse