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Life Begins at Conception
Embryology, p. 52 (1968): "Fertilization is
significant in that new life is created ... "; O'Rahilly,
Developmental Stages in Human Embryos, p. 9 n.1:
" ... 'the initiation of new life' occurs at that moment
when fertilization 'is completed by fusion of the two
sets of chromosomes"'; Arey, Developmental
Anatomy, p. 55 (1965): "The formation, maturation
and meeting of a male and female sex cell are all ·
preliminary to their actual union into a combined
cell, or zygote, which definitely marks the beginning
of a new individual."
These texts are recognized as authoritative in the
medical profession; I am personally familiar with
them, and it is my opinion, based upon a
reasonable degree of medical certainty, that their
representations concerning when human life begins
are accurate. I have never read a medical text or
heard of any medical doctor writing or stating that
what exists at conception is not a new human life.
I have read, however, that some believe that a new
human life begins at implantation in the uterus,
which occurs about one week after conception.
However, , successful in vitro fertilization
(fertilization outside the womb, i.e., in a culture
dish or test tube) has now made it possible to
observe the new human life immediately after
fertilization and, therefore, observe the cells divide
prior to implantation.
Observation of this
development provides further evidence that human
life begins at conception.
Moreover, if one defines viability as the potential
"to live outside the mother's womb, albeit with
artificial aid" (Roe vs. Wade; 410 U.S. 113, 160
(1973)), in vitro fertilization would seem to have
moved the date of viability back to conception.
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