01-25-2017, 07:22 PM
(01-25-2017, 06:07 PM)hollodero Wrote: Wikipedia gives me this:
Quote:Many members of the medical community accept fertilization as the point at which life begins. Dr. Bradley M. Patten from the University of Michigan wrote in Human Embryology that the union of the sperm and the ovum "initiates the life of a new individual" (1)beginning "a new individual life history." In the standard college text book Psychology and Life, Dr. Floyd L. Ruch wrote "At the time of conception, two living germ cells—the sperm from the father and the egg, or ovum, from the mother—unite to produce a new individual (2)." Dr. Herbert Ratner wrote that "It is now of unquestionable certainty that a human being comes into existence precisely at the moment when the sperm combines with the egg." This certain knowledge, Ratner says, comes from the study of genetics. At fertilization, all of the genetic characteristics, such as the color of the eyes, "are laid down determinatively."(3) James C. G. Conniff noted the prevalence of the above views in a study published by The New York Times Magazine in which he wrote, "At that moment conception takes place (4) and, scientists generally agree, a new life begins(5)—silent, secret, unknown."[22]
This is how the semantics arguments misuse science . . .
1 The quote says "new individual," not new life.
2 Again, "new individual"
3 Not entirely true. The sperm and ovum DNA don't combine "precisely at the moment when the sperm combines with the egg." As I've already indicated the DNA from the pronuclei of the gametes don't combine for approximately 23 hours later.
4 Some sources indicate conception is an imprecise term and should be avoided.
5 Look at the first two quotes, they say new individual not new life. So when James C. G. Conniff writes "scientists generally agree, a new life begins" does he mean "new individual" and used "new life" because he misunderstood what scientists generally agree upon?
Let me try to explain it differently. Think of life as an inheritable trait like eye color. You inherit eye color genes from both gametes. You inherit life from both gametes. Unless one or both gametes is dead in which case a new individual isn't formed. Some chromosomal abnormalities are incompatible with life. It is believed chromosomal abnormalities are the most common cause of spontaneous abortions. Well, if one of the gametes is dead that's a pretty serious chromosomal abnormality.
