The things they carried
The Core of the Issue There are many controversies currently being argued within our society. However I believe the controversy of abortion deserves the most attention. Yet the issue of abortion is so vast that we need to examine the core of the controversy. The core question is: when does an unborn child, a fetus count in the eyes of society as a human being? When does its life as a person really begin? To really understand the concept of when life begins we must at least consider the issue from several different perspectives: ethics, religion, law, and science. We must also look at the development of the embryo, and how abortions are performed at different stages during the development of the baby. If the zygotes and fetuses are actually people, then according to the laws of our nation and our shared moral codes, killing them at any stage of development is immoral and can be viewed as murder. If sentient life begins at conception, I ask you then, why do we justify the murder of an unborn child by calmly stating that it is just a mass of tissue? Life very clearly begins at conception, and therefore abortion is murder regardless of what stage it is performed during fetal development. Let us examine fetal development, which is how a human being develops inside the womb. How does the zygote transform into a human being? The development of a human baby is broken into three stages: the blastocyst stage, the embryonic stage, and the fetal development stage. A vast majority would agree that life begins at conception. A zygote occurs when the sperm penetrates the ovum and contributes it’s genetic material to the egg. A ball of cells quickly develops into what is called a zygote. This zygote travels down the mother’s fallopian tube and divides itself to form a clump of attached cells. Each of the cells contains a replica of the genes that will guide the baby’s development. Once there is about thirty-two of those cells the developing zygote is called a morula. The cell division continues, and the morula becomes an outer shell or capsule of cells surrounding an inner group of cells. This stage in the development of the baby is called the “blastocyst” stage. The morula will become the membranes that will nourish and protect the inner group of cells that will then become the next stage of the baby’s development, or the embryo stage.( 1UpHealth) A chronology of the embryonic stage is as follows: - Fifth day: the blastocyst reaches the uterus and implants into the uterine wall - Sixth day: the endometrium has grown and is ready to support a fetus - Week three: the brain, heart and spinal cord starts to develop - Week four to five: the formation of the tissue that will develop into the vertebra and some other bones will occur. The heart will also beat at a regular rhythm. Also the movement of rudimentary blood through the main vessels begins, the structure of the eyes and ears begin to develop, the brain develops into five areas and some cranial nerves are visible, also arm and leg buds are visible. - Week six: the brain continues to develop, the lungs begin to form, heart and blood circulation have developed more fully. The arms and legs have lengthened with foot and hand areas distinguishable, hands and feet have digits but may still be webbed. - Week seven: all essential organs have at least begun to form, the bones are more mature, and nipple and hair follicles have formed. - Week eight: rotation of intestines, facial features continue to develop, and the eyelids are more distinguishable. (1UP Health 2003) Fetal Period - Weeks nine to twelve: a neck has begun to form; tooth buds appear for the baby teeth, limbs are long and thin, digits are well formed, the fetus can make a fist with it’s fingers, red blood cells are being produced in the liver. - Week thirteen to sixteen: fetal skin is almost transparent, more muscle tissue and bones have developed, and the bones become harder. The fetus is beginning to make active movements, sucking motions are made with the mouth, amniotic fluid is swallowed, and sweat glands develop. - Week twenty: skin becomes less transparent as fat begins to deposit, eyebrows and lashes appear, and nails appear on fingers and toes. Fetal heartbeat can be heard with a stethoscope. - Week twenty-four: hair on the head is longer; and all of the eye components are developed. The fetus has hand and startle reflexes. - Week twenty-five to twenty eight: rapid brain development, nervous systems developed enough to control some body functions, eyelids open and close, respiratory system, while immature, has developed to where gas exchange is possible.