Human Life

Ovulation occurs about every 28 days (about two weeks after the onset of menstruation.) Ovulation is when an egg is discharged into the fallopian tube. Most of the time, the egg will move down the fallopian tube to the uterus, break up, and the remains are discharged as menstrual flow.

For fertilization to occur, sperm must be deposited in the vagina within a few (3) days before or on the day of ovulation. The sperm may reach the egg within 15 minutes of ejaculation. There is heavy mortality on their journey. An average human ejaculate contains over one hundred million sperm, but only a few dozen complete the journey. And of these, only one will succeed in fertilizing the egg.

Development begins while the fertilized egg is still within the fallopian tube. Approximately one week after fertilization, an embryo of about 100 cells embeds itself in the thickened wall of the uterus, a process called implantation, and pregnancy is established. After three weeks, the heart has begun to pump, the brain and spinal cord begin as a tube-like structure; and the mother has just missed her first menstrual period.

An egg cell like a sperm cell is special. It only has 23 chromosomes, unlike the other cells of the body which have 23 pairs (46 chromosomes). We inherit 23 chromosomes from each of our parents. When an egg is fertilized it is new unique human life; 46 chromosomes which are unique to itself. It is not a copy of its mother like a skin cell, but new unique human life with its own DNA. This human life will continue to live for another 75 years or so. It will spend its first 280 days in the womb, followed by a few years in total dependence on others for nourishment. Depending on which society it is born into, it will be taken care of for an additional 10 to 20 years.

Most of us would believe it to be unethical to kill 300 day old human life which had just exited its mother’s womb 20 days earlier. But some believe is it OK to kill it 150 days earlier or 70 years later. I believe they are inconsistent in their views because nothing changes between conception and a terminal illness. Human life is human life all along the way. Dehumanization can cause one to believe there is a life not worth living. Dehumanization is the psychological process of depriving human qualities, making them seem less than human and hence not worthy of humane treatment. Slavery, eugenics, and genocide start with dehumanization; and all inconsistent with justice.