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From: kjm@ut-ngp.UUCP (Ken Montgomery)
Newsgroups: net.abortion
Subject: Re: They finally said it!
Message-ID: <1071@ut-ngp.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 7-Nov-84 10:30:36 EST
Article-I.D.: ut-ngp.1071
Posted: Wed Nov  7 10:30:36 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 10-Nov-84 03:05:03 EST
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Organization: U.Texas Computation Center, Austin, Texas
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[]

>That is a good question.  At what point does a fetus become a child?
>As I can see no definite "transition point" I have to say that point is
>at conception.
>
>                                Brad Andrews

Why is conception a 'definite "transition point"'?  Conception is
not an atomic event.  It is, rather, a fairly long process with
several stages, notably (medical people please correct me if I'm
remembering this wrongly) penetration of the ovum by the nucleus of
a sperm cell, migration of the sperm nucleus through the ovum's
cytoplasm to the ovum's nucleus, the merging of the two nuclei and 
the subsequent meiosis, and finally the ejection of the polar body
(which contains the other *full set* of genes which, except in *very
rare* cases, does not develop into an embryo).

At what exact point in the above process is the new person formed?
Exactly what is it (physically, not philosophically) about the newly-
fertilized ovum that allows one to identify it as a person?

--
"Shredder-of-hapless-smurfs"
Ken Montgomery
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