Teddy, at conception a biologically unique human being with its own complete 46 chromosome DNA is formed – genetically separate from their mother or father is formed. Nothing further genetically will be added. Only time and nourishment are needed.
The new human being is the same genetically at the moment of conception as when the heart begins to beat. The heartbeat is simply another milestone of development just as puberty will mark another immense physical change along the lifespan of a human.
Evelyn, our desire is never to make anyone feel bad and we definitely agree with you that the time for prevention is before a woman gets pregnant. However, for an issue as important as the protection of human lives, our laws must be based on objective scientific truth and logic. Emotion is not a strong foundation to protect ANY of our rights.
As you went through the terminology of human development you noted the progression that simply takes place via time and nourishment. There is nothing new added genetically after conception. Medical textbooks are clear on that point. Development terminology is simply that – words used to clarify the points of development just as later we used terms like infant, toddler, preteen, adolescent, adult, etc. The terminology does not signify a change in genetic identity.
Did you know that most birds are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act? The protection extends to the eggs. Our laws regarding the protection of birds recognize the truth that the eggs are the beginning of the birds’ lives. This is despite the fact that the contents of an egg consist of a formless, indistinguishable substance. It is logically inconsistent not to recognize this same beginning with a human life.
Regarding your contention that a five-week-old embryo has the complexity of a paramecium, that is not accurate. At five weeks following conception, the baby’s heart and brain have begun. Other organs and the baby’s face are starting to form. Click here to see a resource on fetal development from The Mayo Clinic.
Miscarriages are a completely separate situation from abortion. Miscarriages are not intentional acts.
Please consider the following:
Professor Micheline Matthews-Roth, Harvard University Medical School: “It is incorrect to say that biological data cannot be decisive… It is scientifically correct to say that an individual human life begins at conception… Our laws, one function of which is to help preserve the lives of our people, should be based on accurate scientific data.”
Gary, current science pegs the start of the heartbeat at around 21 days following conception. The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) is a division of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3279166/
Interestingly, a study by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) at the University of Oxford even suggests that rudimentary functioning may begin as early as 16 days post fertilization.
https://www.ox.ac.uk/…/2016-10-11-first-our-three…
The heartbeat can be detected by vaginal ultrasound around 5 – 6 weeks. However, a heartbeat is not the true measure of life. From a biological standpoint, human life begins at conception. When the egg and sperm fuse, a unique person is created with its own set of DNA — separate from that of its mother and father.
Dr. Jerome LeJeune, professor of genetics at the University of Descartes in Paris, was the discoverer of the chromosome pattern of Down syndrome. Dr. LeJeune testified to the United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee, “After fertilization has taken place a new human being has come into being.” He stated that this “is no longer a matter of taste or opinion,” and “not a metaphysical contention, it is plain experimental evidence.” He added, “Each individual has a very neat beginning, at conception.”
Evelyn, a sperm is a “lifeform” to use your terminology, but it is not scientifically a human being. It is not a complete 46 chromosome human being. However, at conception a biologically unique human being with its own complete 46 chromosome DNA – genetically separate from their mother or father is formed. Nothing further genetically will be added. Only time and nourishment are needed.
The new human being is the same genetically at the moment of conception as when the heart begins to beat. The heartbeat is simply another milestone of development just as puberty will mark another immense physical change along the lifespan of a human.