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Prenatal Development Reflection
According to "When do human beings begin? Scientific myths and scientific facts," by
Dianne Irving, Prenatal development is the process of change in a human embryo or fetus
between fertilization and birth. It encompasses changes in size, appearance, function, and the
process of birth itself. Developmental biology studies how a single cell develops into the many
different types of cells that make up the human body; embryology studies how an embryo
develops from conception to adulthood (Irving, 1999). The term prenatal refers to before birth
and various myths have been in place concerning when human life begins. Therefore, Dianne
presents multiple arguments that help answer the questions of concern on human life and human
development, and through the study, individuals can understand it better.
Several arguments support the idea that life begins at conception. Firstly, fertilization
results in a blob, clump of cells, or portion of the mother's tissues. As a result, in this reasoning,
the human embryo created during fertilization is a human being, rather than a blob or a collection
of cells. It is life itself, and since it has mother and father chromosomes and thus it's not just
other tissues. Secondly, fertilization develops a prospective or potential human being, but not an
actual human being. This argument is clarified because there is no concern that the immediate
result of fertilization usually results in a new and existing individual (Irving, 1999). A human
zygote is not a possible or likely person; it is a person. Finally, there is a myth that a zygote,
embryo, or foetus of a human with only one cell is not a human being because it doesn't look like
a human being. Dianne believes that a human zygote, an embryo, or even a foetus are all humans
and should be treated as such at all stages of development.
Several arguments support that life begins at later stages in development. There is an
argument that even though human being starts at fertilization, the individual does not begin until
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twinning cannot happen, that is, after 14 days. This misunderstanding states that the pre-embryo
is not a person in the process of development unless and until there are no more twins present in
the pre-embryo. Scientists argue that there is no such pre-embryo thing, and twinning can even
occur after 14 days (Allen, 2021). The other myth is that human life begins at the birth of a brain,
when the primitive nerve net is formed or when the cortex and all the appropriate structures for
thinking and feeling are formed. Dianne explains that this claim is mere speculation since brain
birth is a gradual acquisition and development of the neural system. There is also a myth that a
person is defined by actively exercising rational attributes such as thinking, self-consciousness
and choosing. This has been argued over time, and scientists have disparities in it, but it can be
agreed that a person lives when he has the senses.
Therefore, with the various arguments and facts presented on when a human being
begins, I believe that human life begins immediately after fertilization. Scientists have proved
this because the fusion of the male and female chromosomes can make a union that can result in
a complete individual over time. This is essential for every person to understand and avoid some
evil practices like abortion. Therefore, this study is necessary for many enlightened people in the
study of prenatal development.
