Beginning of life (uses of embryos) Flashcards
Different views about when life begins
- when the heart starts beating
-at birth
-when the soul is given - at conception
IVF (in vitro fertilisation)
Fertilisation which happens out of the body and in a laboratory. the egg from a females ovary will be fertilised by a males sperm, the embryo will then be left to develop for a few days before being implanted into the females uterus. This gives individuals who cannot naturally conceive the opportunity to have children. Could be for same sex couples or infertile couples.
Timeline of embryo development
-sperm and ovum fuse making a zygote
- cells start to drive and a blastocyst is implanted by day 5-6
- day 14-15 the primitive streak appears (will develop into spinal cord and brain)
-day 21 heart starts to beat
-4 weeks arms legs, eyes, ears and nose start to develop
- 45 days electrical brain wave patterns can be recorded
- 8 weeks now called a fetus by scientists, all organs functioning, growth and maturity are all that occur now
-9 weeks the fetus can make a fist will grasp on to objects
-week 13 hair appears on the head, fetus sleeps and wakes, practices breathing.
-week 16 fetus is about half birth length
-week 24 baby can survive by itself is born and giving special care
-week 28 eyes open, fetus can hear and respond to mothers voice
-week 38 full term (40 week) pregnancy.
Screening and selecting
One or more cell is taken from the embryo and the DNA is tested for chromosomal abnormalities. This helps ensure more viable embryos are implanted.
What happens after 14 days of development
Embryo is
-frozen
-implanted into uterus
-destroyed
Moral issues of IVF
- is it morally acceptable to interfere with the natural reproduction process
- is it playing the role of God
- selecting and screening could cause parents to use IVF for ‘designer babies’
Research uses
- pure research is research to further human understanding but there is no specific aim
- research with a specific aim has a particular question that is being addressed
-in the Uk research can only be done for up to 14 days as this is when the primitive streak appears. After this the embryo must be implanted, frozen or destroyed.
examples of research being done on embryos
biochemistry in Hull IVF unit which is reseraching into why differnt embryos turn out heakthier than other. thus looks to understand the early development of an embryo to help increase success rates of IVF.
Who overlooks the use of embryos in the uk
Human fertilisation and embryology authority (HFEA).
Moral issues arising from research uses of embryos
- should research be done in embryos if it involves destroying embryos in the process?
-should research be done on embryos if it could lead to a slippery slope?
-should research in embryos be done or is it playing God?
-should research on embryos be done if the money could be allocated somewhere else?
religious responses to moral issues arising from research uses of embryos
- Roman Catholics would be opposed to use of embryos as they believe ensoulment happens at the moment of conception and so embryos should be given the same respect as any other person.
what are cell lines used for?
-cell lines can be taken from an embryo and then used indefinitely as they are not an embryo but just embryonic stem cells.
