tAs a mother who conceived (the natural way) 6 times but only gave
birth to 2 live infants I feel qualified to remind the greater
community that every successful conception does not equal a child
born even in natural circumstances, much less conceptions that occur
in a dish.
I mourned each one of those miscarriages as a child lost even after
my 2nd child was born and I knew in my heart that my family was
complete and that I was done with the baby stage of my life. My
experience also led me to the conclusion that a life that cannot
survive outside the mother is not entitled to citizenship rights
equal to that of the mother until it is mature enough to survive once
the umbilical cord is cut (or has turned 18, which ever comes first).
When I got my drivers license I asked for an organ donor sticker and
informed my parents of my wishes in the event of my death.
As a parent I could be called upon to make a similar decision should
a child of mine suffer a life ending tragedy... that the purpose of
his or her short life can take on new meaning by giving life to others.
whether you consider them blastocysts or babies, the couples who
conceived them have already made the decision that they will never be
born and have a meaningful purpose outside the petri dish. I truly
believe the "parents" should have the right to decide the fate
regarding the use of their unused fertilized egg's stem cells as well.
Just as Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood transfusions on the basis of
their beliefs, each one of us has the right to refuse any treatment
we are uncomfortable with. but as for me, I donate blood (4
gallons), gave a sample to the bone marrow registry and if Dr. Kerr
can use my middle aged eggs to heal others then he is welcome to them.
Mindy the Artist
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 4–5 days post
fertilization, at which time they consist of 50–150 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: bgunny7...@aol.com
To: 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,
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
