The problem I have with defining "life" as Gunny has as not beginning
until 28 days after conception (the joining of the male sperm and the
female egg) is that once conception occurs the zygote contains all of
the genetic information (DNA) necessary to become a child. Half of
the genetic information comes from the mother's egg and half from the
father's sperm. The zygot continues to divide, creating an inner
group of cells with an outer shell. This stage is called a
blastocyst. The inner group of cells will become the embryo, while
the outer group of cells will become the membranes that nourish and protect it.
To me it makes sense the "life" begins at conception, as a single
cell zygote, since at that point it contains everything to make a
unique, individual and continues to divide on it's own. It happens
without "brain".
Embryonic stem cell come from the blastocyst stage 45 days post
fertilization, at which time they consist of 50150 cells.
Every biology reference I have found talks about the beginning of
life being the union of the two gametes, the male and female
reproductive cells of any species.
Jim
I suggest reading, Declaration On The Production And The Scientific
And Therapeutic Use Of Human Embryonic Stem Cells
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_academies/acdlife/documents/rc_pa_acdlife_doc_20000824_cellule-staminali_en.html
----- Original Message -----
From: <mailto:bgunny7...@aol.com>bgunny7...@aol.com
To: <mailto:gbthomas8...@sbcglobal.net>gbthomas8...@sbcglobal.net
Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 11:18 AM
Subject: Re: [TMIC] stem cell (OT?)
In a message dated 3/25/2009 11:06:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
<mailto:gbthomas8...@sbcglobal.net>gbthomas8...@sbcglobal.net writes:
Our former president, George W. Bush, so direspectfully referred to
on this list as "dumdum," was simply against the use of our tax
money for embryonic stem cell research in consideration for those
opposed, on moral grounds, to the use of aborted fetuses. Stem cell
research was not stopped. It has widely been proclaimed (even on
this "list") that adult stem cell research has actually been more
successful than embryonic cell research
Not necessarily aborted fetus's. Embryonic stem cells can be grown
in a petri dish simply by marrying a male sperm with a female egg.
It has nothing to do with an abortion at all. Adult stem cells have
already been programmed, which are taken from an adult human, to
make that persons body. When taken, they are cleaned by a process
known as plasma pheresis, then reinjected into that same person. An
embryonic stem cell has NOT been programmed to make anything yet. It
can be coaxed to do so where an adult cannot. An embryo is
considered just that because it does not become a fetus until it is
infused with blood. That process doesn't happen until twenty eight
days after conception, and, it has no brain. Taking that into
consideration, it is not alive. It can become so if implanted into a
female uterus, but not until. So, in all actuality, it just sits in
that petri dish doing absolutely nothing. I hope this gives you
better insight as to what an embryonic stem cell is.
Gunny
----
Jim Lubin
jlu...@eskimo.com
http://makoa.org/jim
disAbility Resources: http://www.makoa.org
