Do you need this or any other assignment done for you from scratch?
We have qualified writers to help you.
We assure you a quality paper that is 100% free from plagiarism and AI.
You can choose either format of your choice ( Apa, Mla, Havard, Chicago, or any other)
NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.
NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.
Introduction
Considering that scientists and philosophers still debate about the time of human life beginning, such issues as abortion and cloning also become controversial. To decide on the mentioned issues, one needs to integrate biology and ethics, but since the start of human life is a physiological process, it is critical to take a scientific approach and focus on the arguments provided by research. It is important to clearly understand the concepts used by scientists and the processes that happen before, during, and after conception. The answer to the question of when human life begins provides the foundation for prenatal development decisions. Although a zygote, the product of fertilized sperm and oocyte cells, appears at conception and contains particular sex, in vitro fertilization and the concept of “brain birth” assume that human life begins later in development.
Human Life Begins at Conception
Conception occurs when a mature oocyte and sperm each having 23 chromosomes meet, leading to fertilization. Since oocytes and sperms only bring parts of human beings, the moment of their meeting can be called the start of human life. Therefore, it becomes evident that the destruction of sperms and ova cannot be considered an act of abortion. Irving (1999) provides a good example, stating that likewise kidney or skin cells, sex cells bring parts of human life, yet they are not human lives themselves. Only since the moment of conception, a zygote divides and grows, while also producing proteins and enzymes.
One more argument supporting the opinion that human life begins at the moment of conception is that human sex is already defined as the fertilization product. Genetically, a zygote has male or female nature, which is determined by the sperm type that was given by a male partner. Namely, the sperm can contain either 2X chromosomes or X and Y chromosomes (Irving, 1999). In the first case, it will be a female, and it will be a boy in the second case. From the point of science, it is incorrect to think that sex is identified at the later stages of development. Moreover, it should be stressed that a common belief that the product of fertilization is only a potential human being is a myth. This myth refers to the issues of ethics and theology, but the scientific stance clearly states that it is incorrect. The fact that a zygote has definite sex means that it is a human being, possessing unique biological characteristics.
Human Life Begins Later in Development
The arguments that insist on the beginning of human life later in the process of development largely refer to theology, artificial conception, and stem cell and cloning research. For example, it is stated by some people that pregnancy begins at the implantation when fertilization takes place in a test tube, and an embryo is implanted in a woman’s body (Irving, 1999). In this case, it is evident that human life begins in artificial conditions, but natural pregnancy starts with preparatory processes in both male and female organisms. Mental speculation provides another argument that the so-called “brain development” determines a new life. From this philosophical point of view, the formation of the primitive nerves occurs later in the process of development, leading to the moment when an embryo becomes a person being. However, from the biological perspective, the system that develops in an embryo is not a brain, while the embryo also is not able to engage in conscious reasoning. Accordingly, the above argument does not meet the scientific explanation of human life beginning.
Conclusion
Based on the point of science, one should agree that the life of a person as a biological individual begins from the moment of the fusion of female and male germ cells. The fact that it causes the formation of a single nucleus containing a genetically-unique code confirms this opinion. As a result, a zygote becomes the earliest initial stage of development of human beings as its genetic identification remains unchanged at all other stages and is created in the process of fertilization. The discovery of stem cells and cloning, along with their amazing properties, has extensively stimulated the discussion about the spatial and temporal boundaries of the existence of an individual.
These discoveries revealed unprecedented potencies of the individual’s genome, while it became especially critical to properly define the concepts related to the beginning of a human being. In Isaiah 49:1, it is stated the Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name” (King James Bible, 1769/2017). Even though scientific arguments seem to be foundational to deciding on the mentioned issues, philosophical and theological perspectives should also be taken into account to ensure that the decisions fit social norms, morality, and ethics.
Reference
Irving, D. N. (1999). When do human beings begin? Scientific myths and scientific facts. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 19(3/4), 22-46.
King James Bible. (2017). King James Bible Online. Web.
Do you need this or any other assignment done for you from scratch?
We have qualified writers to help you.
We assure you a quality paper that is 100% free from plagiarism and AI.
You can choose either format of your choice ( Apa, Mla, Havard, Chicago, or any other)
NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.
NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.