...Stating that an embryo has no moral status is very flawed. At the moment of conception a full human person exist. A person is a person from the moment of conception. Everything about the person, like hair color, skin color and size was decided from that moment. Through the act of taking out stem cells from a developing human, one is preventing the embryo from developing in a normal way. This means one is preventing the embryo from becoming what is supposed to be: a human. Some argue that an embryo in an early stage of life is too undeveloped or too lacking of mental capabilities to have full human rights. The claim that our lives depend on such factors is denying human dignity. If the right to life depended on abilities that can grow or diminish...
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...Conflicts of Frozen Embryos Many types of cancer are decreasing the possibility of young woman to become mothers. In the last years the woman have had the benefit of frozen their eggs before entering a chemotherapy treatment with the optimism to become mother after the cancer treatment have pass. Unfortunately, this frozen embryos have also brought many conflicts on their relationships. The conflicts of the frozen eggs in divorce courts have been divided on three term: Marital Property, custody dispute, and rights to die. New complications have been happening at the time of divorce to a couple who frozen the woman eggs before cancer treatment because both parties consider it a marital property. Both parties filled out new paper works regarding...
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...be that the most promising categories of stem cells are embryonic stem (ES) cells (derived from the five- to seven-day-old embryos known as blastocysts) and embryonic germ (EG) cells, derived from immature aborted fetuses. In fact, there are four main sources of (non-adult) stem cells, and each presents its own challenging ethical issues. The first such source (of ES cells) is the surplus embryos that are a by-product of the activities of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) labs. One ethical concern here has to do with the status of the embryo itself. The degree of respect that ought to be granted to a human embryo is highly controversial. Some hold that the embryo - genetically human and a potential person - deserves our full respect and protection. Others hold that while the embryo may be genetically human, it has (particularly at early stages) none of the characteristics of persons. It is not conscious; it is not self-aware. It is a cluster of cells with no independent ethical status. Still others hold an in-between view, arguing that while the early embryo clearly is not a person (and so clearly does not warrant the ethical status of a human adult or child) it is a part of the human life-cycle, part of the human story, and so ought (like a human corpse) to be treated with a degree of respect. This seems a reasonable compromise. Yet just how much respect embryos deserve, and what sorts of research (if any) might...
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...with unwalled cells. Most ingest food and are motile during at least part of the life cycle. * Evolution of Animal Body Plans * All animals are descended from a common multicelled ancestor * Ectoderm – outermost tissue layer of an animal embryo. * Endoderm – innermost tissue layer of an animal embryo. * Mesoderm – middle tissue layer of a three – layered animal embryo. * Most animal groups have organs derived from mesoderm * Radial symmetry – having parts arranged around a central axis, like spokes around a wheel * Radial animals have no front or back end. They attach to an underwater surface or drift along. Their food can arrive from any direction. * Bilateral symmetry – having paired structures so the right and left halves are mirror images * Bilateral animals typically have cephalization. * Move through the world head first and use their sensory structures on the head to seek out food and detect threats * Head ends have an opening for taking in food. * Cephalization – having a concentration of nerve and sensory cells at the head end. * Protostomes – lineage of bilateral animals in which the first opening on the embryo surface develops into a mouth *...
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...be the event that bestows on a human being its legal rights, it is entirely logical to ban a procedure that so effectively blurs the legal line between murder and abortion -- between the “born” and the “unborn.” Abortion is murder no matter what kind of laws the Government makes. In 1973 the United States Supreme Court made a decision on the case of Roe vs. Wade, the Court found that a woman had the right to choose whether or not to abort a pregnancy within certain constraints. However, according to the Court if a fetus were a person, abortion would be found impermissible. While this decision made an attempt at establishing a legal precedent, from a moral and religious standpoint, it is wrong. Upon the moment of conception, the human embryo is a person; and as a result, the fetus acquires a soul, making its abortion a sin within the teachings of the Catholic Church. There are many abortions performed each year in the United States. Seventy-five percent of all abortions in the U.S. are performed on women over twenty years of age, but the lawmakers try to concentrate on the 186,000 teens that have an abortion each year. In 1990, there were nearly 400 abortion bills...
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...* ------------------------------------------------- 6. The 3 main types of prenatal development are the zygote, embryo, and fetus. The zygote is the fertilized egg in the womb; it lasts for 2 weeks and begins when the sperm first fertilizes the egg. Soon afterwards, the zygote becomes an embryo. During the embryo stage, the actual human organism is mad and this lasts from the 2nd week to the 2nd month. During the fetus stage, the organism is in its developmental stage. This begins after 9 weeks of pregnancy. A teratogen is an agent that can cause harm to the womb ex. If a pregnant woman is drinking a lot of alcohol, she can harm the fetus because alcohol is a teratogen and she could potentially cause fetal alcohol syndrome. 7. The brain capacity of newborn babies is a lot smaller than that of an older person. That’s why we don’t remember most of our infancy. Once we are born we start to make a neural network that allows us to complete basic functions, like talk, remember, etc. The habituation for the infant cognition is a very simple way of learning. When the babies are exposed to something multiple times, they lose fascination in it. 8. Piaget developed 4 stages of cognitive development that show how humans develop mentally. Stage 1 is the sensorimotor stage. This is the stage that occurs from 0 to 2 years and this is when we start to interact with our senses. The 2nd stage, Preoperational, 2-7 years old, is when language begins but isn’t completely understood and is...
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...understanding of germination is essential to crop production. (4) Definition of Seed Germination. Various definitions of seed germination have been proposed, and it is important to understand their distinctions. The the seed physiologist, germination is defined as the emergence of the radicle through the seed coat. Such a definition says nothing about other essential structures such as the epicotyl or hypocotyls that become the above ground parts of a successful seedling. To the seed analyst, germination is “the emergence and development from the seed embryo of those essential structures which, for the kind of seed in question, are indicative of the ability to produce a normal plant under favorable conditions.” This definition focuses on the reproductive ability of the seed, an essential objective in agriculture. Does it have the capacity to produce a normal plant? Others consider germination to be the resumption of active growth by the embryo resulting in the rupture of the seed coat and emergence of a young plant. This definition presumes that the seed has been in a state of quiescence, or rest, after its formation and development. During this period of rest, the seed is in a relatively inactive state and has a low rate of metabolism. It can remain in that state until environmental conditions...
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...Pre-natal Life Cycle Pre-Natal Life Cycle Joss Wilson Health and Nutrition The Pre-natal stage and the beginning of a person’s life begin with conception. Conception is the single handed moment when the sperm fertilizes an egg to create a single cell called a zygote. The zygote will undergo a period of a cell division forming a blastocyst which a ball-shaped collection of cells that implants itself in the uterine wall. After the blastocyst begins to develop rudimentary organs, it is an embryo. At the eight week mark, the organs have finishing developing, and the embryo is considered a fetus. The fetal period is then marked by the development of placenta and organ maturation. The pre-natal stage ends at child birth approximately 38 weeks after conception. Before conception is even considered Nutrition is extremely important. Several factors make adequate nutrition important before conception. The point at which a woman’s ovum (egg) is fertilized with a mans sperm. First, some deficiency-related problems early in the pregnancy, typically before the mother even realizes she’s pregnant. An adequate and varied preconception diet reduces the risk of such problems, providing insurance during those first weeks of life. Here are a few pre-natal power foods that would make up for an excellent diet when it comes to getting the essential nutrients like fiber, foliate, and iron needed for the mother and growing baby. For breakfast drink 8 ounces of pureed figs. Figs are...
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.... Felicia Asenso Grand Canyon University: HLT-302 June 1, 2015 This is a case study analysis concerning the issue of a fetus with abnormalities. The four people in this study are Jessica and husband Marco, Dr. Wilson and Aunt Maria. The couple have been told that their unborn baby is developing abnormally. Dr. Wilson have discussed with them that abortion in this case is scientifically and medically sound. In this situation all present has a moral and belief system that would influence their action by the realization of the fetal abnormality. Based on the reading from the case study, it is apparent that Jessica and Aunt Maria have chosen to take a Christian ethical approach in the circumstances. Aunt Maria is pleading with Jessica to let the pregnancy take its course and to sue her maternal place to protect her unborn baby. She prays to God which also symbolism her faith. Jessica intends to keep her baby referring to the fact that all life is sacred, in Psalms 139:14 (English Standard Version) the verse refers to the fact that man is fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God. Marco on the other hand is worried about what the impact of a disable child will have in their life but all the same very supportive of his wife and intends to go with whatever decision she makes. My personal theory is the Christian approach in this case. I agree with a paragraph that Christians have our belief in the notion that every person is created individually by...
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...Author Tutor Course Date Child Development Film Review: The Miracle of Life (1983) The film entitled “The Miracle of Life” is a NOVA based documentary that offers a revolution in understanding the process of child development. Advanced medical technologies are used in microscopic and endoscopic illustrations to grasp the critical details, whereas vivid narrations offer explanations for the most complex components and processes of development. The film begins by describing the cell as the basic unit of life having existed from the earliest origin of life to the present. The human body cell division is described where the resulting daughter cells have a similar structure and information as the parent cell. Subsequently, the DNA within the cell nucleus is shown through chromosomes that directly participate in the process of cell division. The journey of life is depicted through the process of human conception, development and birth. The film shows the ovulation process where a mature egg is shed from the ovary containing numerous eggs; which is propelled by blood-engorged fimbriae to the fallopian tube. Consequently, the diagram showing the female reproductive system helps to describe the process of fertilization, after which the muscular contraction and cilia propels the fertilized egg from fallopian tube into the uterus. It also reveals the importance of female sex hormones in regulating the woman’s reproductive cycle during the process...
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...HUMAN DEVELOPMENT * Exploring Human Development * Nature or Nurture? * John Locke – thought of new born as a blank slate, believed that experiences provided by environment during childhood have a profound and permanent effect. * Jean-Jacques Rousseau – believed children are capable of discovering how the world operates and how they should behave without instruction from adults. * Arnold Gesell – found that motor skills developed in sequence of stages, the order of the stages and the age at which they develop are determined by nature and relatively unaffected by nurture (apart from extreme circumstances). Maturation: natural growth/change that unfolds in a fixed sequence relatively independent of the environment. * John B Watson – founder of the behaviours approach to psychology. Claimed the environment not nature moulds/shapes development. * Jean Piaget – suggested nature and nurture work together and influences are inseparable and interactive. * Nature/Nurture operate together to make all people similar in some respects. Eg; achieving milestones of physical development in the same order at roughly the same rate. * Nature/Nurture operate to make each person unique. Nature of inherited genes and the nurture of widely different family/cultural environments produce differences among individuals. Eg; intelligence, language skills and personality. * Hereditary creates predispositions that interact...
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...THE DEVELOPMENT OF EMBRYO #WEEK 1 Day 1. Fertilization In the beginning is the egg. Inside the fallopian tube, a mature human egg waits in a state of arrested development. Just released from the ovary, it is the largest cell in the human body. The egg is packed with nutrients, growth factors, enzymes and proteins — nearly everything it needs to jump start the development of a human embryo. Except for one little thing — it needs a sperm. If a sperm doesn’t penetrate the egg’s tough outer membrane to activate it within the next 24 hours, the egg will die.¬¬ The sperm cells contain the male genetic contribution to the new genome that will be produced at the completion of fertilization. Sperm cells are produced during the process of meiosis, which occurs in the testis during spermatogenesis. At the completion of meiosis each sperm contains a haploid genome (one chromatid from each chromosome pair). During fertilization and the first stage of embryonic development, the egg runs the show. All a mature human egg really needs from a sperm is its DNA — the genetic code stored in 23 chromosomes inherited from the father. When combined with 23 chromosomes in the egg from the mother, the new embryo has the full complement of genetic material required to make a human being. The fertilization process commences with the sperm initiating the penetration of the zona pellucid. Firstly, the sperm squeezes through cells left over from the follicle. When it reaches the jelly coat, the sperm’s...
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...approach an ethical dilemma is to first, get the facts straight, and then clarify questions from the stated facts. Concentrating on facts and issues first, provides a clear basis for discussion. After creating the ground for discussion, one can elaborate on the moral status of stem cell research. Jack Coulehan begins with clarifying the type of stem cell that's being discussed in his article. Stem cells such as: “Bone marrow stem cells, and fetal cells from the umbilical cord” don't raise concerning ethical questions due to the property they posses; which is having the characteristics of being able to turn into many different types of cells. The types of stem cells that raise the problematic ethical issues are cells that strictly come from embryos. The potential property that these cells carry makes them unique in having the ability to grow and develop into every organ and tissue of the human body; therefore these types of embryonic stem cells can be the possible answer to the cure of tissues that have been severely deformed due to different types of disease they have encountered. The research has shown some progress, although nothing significant, but the fact that the age of this research is no more than 6 years makes it a hot and exciting topic to keep an eye on and follow the progress. This research may not show results anytime soon, but defiantly will in the future. Sadly the research of the embryonic stem cells in the US has very little support and no significant progress, simply...
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...when the method of obtaining stem cells from human embryos and growing them in a laboratory was discovered by scientists. These cells being grown were human embryonic stem cells, “…derived from embryos that develop from eggs that have been fertilized in vitro — in an in vitro fertalization clinic—and then donated for research purposes with informed consent of the donors,”(National Institutes of Health, 12, Nov. 2012).These embryos are created for reproductive purposes. Stem Cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body, fundamentally being the source of all external/ internal organs and tissues. When a stem cell divides, this new cell can either remain a stem cell or become another specialized type of cell, such as: a brain cell, red blood cell, or a muscle cell Although stem cells are unspecialized cells, sometimes after a long period of inactivity, they’re able to renew themselves through cell division. Due to the limitless benefits to medicine and human health, many Americans support stem cell research, considering this treatment as a workable option to treat many injuries, diseases, and malfunctions. This research offers a great amount of hope for the advancement of medicine, because stem cells can grow into any kind of cell, that can replace damaged neural cells in the brain and spinal cord. Pro-choicers reject the care of a pre-embryo, and suppose that even though an embryo can develop into a person, it is not a person by any...
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...the overall response from a Catholic position, from an individual and Catholic Church standpoint is loud and clear: embryonic stem cell research is immoral. The sanctity of life is held in high regard in the Catholic tradition, therefore making embryonic stem cell research morally wrong. To justify this, it is important to consider whether or not an embryo is a human from perspectives that are for and against this research, and their justifications. Whilst there is no united Catholic view, drawing from traditional ethics and Catholic principles can give an estimate of the overall Catholic perspective on the treatment of human embryos as opposed to the foreseen medical benefits on the other end of the spectrum. In a broad sense, the use of human embryos is unjustifiable and wrong in the eyes of the Catholic community, no matter how promising the benefits are as it involves the killing of an embryo, and thus by extension, can be regarded as murder. “We value the preciousness of life…as far as IVF embryos are concerned, those who have the responsibility make those decisions, have already made an important ethical decision…the embryos will not be given life…do we use them to try and and further research or do we throw them out? The ethical decision is clearly to use them for research. We have a duty to other generations to make sure that science is advanced.” (Finkel, 2005) It may first be useful to take a look at what is involved in the procedure and the arguments that arise in...
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