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When Does Human Life Begin?
Xavier Garland
School of Behavioral Sciences, Liberty University
PSYC 210: Developmental Psychology
Professor Kennedy
September 08, 2021
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When do Human Beings Begin?
Human life in a scientific background is a continuous topic in the field for generations. Some
may take an unbiased approach to answer the question, “Where does human life begin?” in order
to avoid any political or even theological answers which could arrive at a vague answer (Irving,
1999). When we study the science of human life there are two views we look at: life beginning at
conception and then life beginning at a later point in the fetus’s life. If we understand both
viewpoints, we can get a better insight to the ethical frame of mind behind why we research
human embryos and the secrets behind abortions.
Human Life Begins at Conception
The first human life aspect comes from conception, or when during intercourse the sperm fuses
with the female egg to form a zygote, in order to begin new life through pregnancy. According to
Irving, zygotes contain 46 chromosomes (23 from both parents) which contains the
characteristics of both parents and their traits and even family history of medical diseases
(Irving). It’s described that the embryonic zygote produces human specific proteins and enzymes
and is noted as a biological invidividual living organism as he described; and after fertailzation,
this human embryo continues to grow throughout an eight-week period as it directs its own
growth. Meaning that the organism is a whole genetically unique human being as the product of
the fusing of both the male and female cells, and how it physically changes with different
developmental stages when we look at the gestation period or how it grows during pregnancy.
Human Life Does Not Begin at Conception
In contrast, some argue that life does not start until a later part in the zygote’s development due
to it being a combination of cells and having no real gender assignment until an ultrasound or if
the doctors reveal it during an appointment (Irving). A pre-embryo, as it is formally called, is
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described by this viewpoint as only the potential for life and it never started at implantation days
after fertilization. Another argrument of this theory is that the embryo doesn’t fully learn how to
think, feel pleasure or pain, or aware of the world around them until it is born (Irving).
Summary and Reflection
This constant debate continues to mainstream the realms of science, politics, entertainment, and
surprisingly enough, even religion for centuries to come; however, this should allow the person
to look at this through a scientific lens rather than by pop culture. Science has proved that life
begins at conception instead of a later stage of the embryo’s developmental period. From this
joining of the two cells to form a zygote, it can grow and change while still developing inside the
female before birth. The viewpoint that life begins at conception I mostly relate to due to how we
know that even during those early stages before being born, embryos could feel and understand
thing while still growing before birth without there being some form of life to generate a process
this genetically unique. From the moment a human becomes a zygote with its genetic makeup,
people could also identify more of the developing zygote itself and its gender before we even
know about it, yet we still argue about how and where life begins in different aspects.
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References
Irving, D. N. (1999). When do human beings begin? Scientific myths and scientific facts.
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 19(3/4), 22-46.
doi:10.1108/01443339910788730
