My question is probably a bit unclear, but I'll add this link inappropriate link deleted So if anyone could lay out a clear points or explanation of what the article actually is, it would facilitate good discussion.Borek said:I think you are confusing two different things - existence of a life on Earth with the life span of a single organism.
They're the same thing, the formation of a zygote, which is a fertilized ovum.ikos9lives said:What is the difference between conception and fertilization?
The question was "When does life begin" which is quite different to "When can you be considered a human being". I was really looking for a biological answer, not theological one.Ken Natton said:Hmmm, it is pretty clear, Skeptic2, that the article linked to was not of a scientific nature. It had a clear agenda against abortion, and, carefully reasserting that I seek to make no comment here on my views on that particular debate, it was also very clear to me that it was of the type of thing that seeks to clothe itself in an air of scientific rigour that it didn’t actually live up to.
So, for sure, you could have a scientific discussion about when exactly an individual human life begins. It seems to me that, if it was to be a really serious discussion, it might take Tibor Gánti’s chemoton as a model. I remember being involved in a discussion about whether a sperm should be regarded as ‘living’, not just because it is motile, but because it metabolises. We certainly talk about sperm dying. But if it does live, then what is it? Human? And in point of fact, why constrain the discussion to the matter of when life begins? Death too has become a more nebulous concept. Certainly, we may point to someone who is clearly living and someone else who is clearly dead, but the precise moment of transition from one to the other is not just as free from matters of interpretation as it once seemed.
But it is very clear, if the discussion is to be purely scientific then never at any point should it include discussion of the rights and wrongs of abortion. I strongly suspect that precluding that would preclude the interest of the OP.
SW VandeCarr said:Where else but in the UK can you get a bunch of pre-teen school children to sing "Every sperm is sacred!" on camera? That's a lot of sacredness.
Conception refers to the moment when a sperm cell successfully fertilizes an egg cell, resulting in the formation of a zygote. Fertilization, on the other hand, is the process by which a sperm cell fuses with an egg cell to form a zygote. In simpler terms, conception is the end result of fertilization.
Fertilization typically occurs within 24 hours after sexual intercourse. However, the sperm can survive in the female reproductive tract for up to 5 days, increasing the window of time for fertilization to occur.
During fertilization, a sperm cell travels through the female reproductive tract and reaches the fallopian tubes where it meets and penetrates an egg cell. This results in the fusion of the genetic material from the sperm and egg, forming a zygote. The zygote then begins to divide and develop into an embryo.
Yes, fertilization can occur outside of the female body through assisted reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). In these procedures, the sperm and egg are combined in a laboratory setting, allowing fertilization to occur before the embryo is implanted into the uterus.
Several factors can affect the success of fertilization, including the quality and quantity of sperm, the health and maturity of the egg, and the condition of the female reproductive tract. Age, hormone levels, and certain medical conditions can also impact the success of fertilization.