Just read this, having been away...

Well said. Absolutely. For the life of me, I can't understand why the term
"embryonic" has beome attached to stem cell research, since a blastocyst
does not become an embryo—as you point out, Ray—until implantation.

Here is what Wikipedia says:

"The *blastocyst* is the structure formed in early
embryogenesis<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embryogenesis>,
after the formation of the blastocoel<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blastocoel>,
but before implantation <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Implantation>.

It possesses an inner cell mass, or
embryoblast<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inner_cell_mass>which
subsequently forms the embryo, and an outer cell mass, or
trophoblast <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trophoblast> which forms the
placenta <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placenta>. The human blastocyst
arises after compaction and comprises 70-100
cells<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_%28biology%29>.
It is preceded by a zygote <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zygote>, the
fertilized egg cell, and succeeded by an
embryo<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embryo>."


`'``subsequently"..."succeeded by"...These words indicate that the
blastocyst is not an embryo. An embryo will develop only if implantation
occurs.

Biologyonline.org says:

"Upon arrival in the uterus, the zygote fuses itself to the uterine wall. At
this point, cells of the zygote differentiate into two distinct types

   - *Embryoblast Cells* - These cells continually divide into what will
   become the embryo, the baby itself
   - *Trophoblast Cells* - These cells form the placenta, that form against
   the uterine wall"

This also indicates that without implantation, there is no embryo.

From* IUPUI: Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis,* here is a
detailed timeline of human biological development with diagrams and photos.
It shows that the embryo does not start to form until Day 10 after
fertilization.

http://www.biology.iupui.edu/biocourses/n100/2k4ch39repronotes.html

In fertility clinics, blastocyst implantation into a woman's uterus occurs
around Day 5 after in vitro fertilization (Source: WebMD). At that point
extra blastocysts may be frozen. These frozen blastocysts are what some
would have thrown away rather than used for research.

They are not embryos.
Kathleen









2009/1/7 rayilynlee <[log in to unmask]>

> This was my answer to an opponent of ESCR:
>
> Diane received the letter after my response to it as an answer to Don's
> McCain on Stem Cells:
>
> Gary
>
> You said, "whenever we eliminate the embryo we have definitively eliminated
> the human being into which it would have developed? Whether it is worth the
> cost of one human life to prolong the life of another should be left up to
> the person whose life is thus to be eliminated. And that means one had
> better wait a bit."
>
> Those of us who support embryonic stem cell research do not believe a
> blastocyst is a person any more than an acorn is an oak tree.  Every seed
> does not become a plant nor does every blastocyst become a person unless the
> conditions of implantation and successful development until live birth occur
> are met.   Not all seeds sprout.  You cannot ask a blastocyst whether it is
> worth using it for research because it is a few microscopic undifferentiated
> human cells that, will NEVER,  if left alone in a petri dish become
> anything.
>
>  What you are doing is protecting cellular human life - seeds - at the
> expense of actual persons whose lives have been destroyed by disease or
> injury and are not asking that their lives be "prolonged" but made bearable.
>
> I can't think of anyone who would favor destroying people for research.
>  But cells are not people.  They are potential life.  ALL cells are, not
> just germ cells.
>
> Are scientists playing "God" by manipulating cells?  Probably, but many
> people believe man was created in God's image and was given the gift of
> intelligence to heal himself by God.  I would suggest that if you oppose
> life saving research you rely solely on prayer and let the rest of us have
> the benefits of science..
>
>
> Rayilyn Brown
> Director AZNPF
> Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
> Rayilyn Brown
> Director AZNPF
> Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation
> [log in to unmask]
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:
> [log in to unmask]
> In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn
>

----------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask]
In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn