Personhood Status of the Human Zygote, Embryo, Fetus

Abstract

The fields of biology, medicine, and embryology have described the developmental milestones of humans throughout gestation in great detail. It is less clear as to when humans are recognized as people, persons, or beings with rights that are protected by legislation. The practice of law is irrevocably intertwined with that of ethical conduct; and the time at which a human life is considered a person has implications that extend to health care, legislation on abortion, and autonomy of individuals. This article reviews the economical position that fertilization is the moment that personhood of the conceptus begins. Alternate positions proposing that personhood begins at other possible times after fertilization are presented and contrasted to the economical hypothesis. : This article is an original work critically analyzing the various arguments for human personhood at fertilization and thereafter. The various positions on human personhood are compared and contrasted herein. The time of the human lifespan at which personhood is conferred has important implications for health care, legislation, and personal autonomy.

CRISPR Ethics: Moral Considerations for Applications of a Powerful Tool

“…This controversy is not about CRISPR itself, but instead is largely due to the lack of clarity about the status of the human embryo. Although some in the scientific community maintain that it is ethically impermissible to experiment on human embryos after 14 days 78,79 , it is impossible for any one party—whether it is a government, laboratory, funding agency, panel of experts, court, religious organization, or other group—to decide the status of a human embryo 80,81 and whether and precisely when it has “personhood” 82 : Is the entity merely a ball of cells whose status is like that of human skin, which sheds regularly without further ado? Or does the entity hold complete personhood status— with irreducible, inalienable moral rights and to whom we owe important directed duties?…”

Posthumous reproduction in Iranian law

“…From the ninth week after fertilization, the unborn child is called a ‘fetus’. Growth and development occur during the fetal period ( Moore, 1988 , Miklavcic and Flaman, 2017 ).…”

CRISPR-Cas and Its Wide-Ranging Applications: From Human Genome Editing to Environmental Implications, Technical Limitations, Hazards and Bioethical Issues

“…Besides, as mentioned earlier on, the enforcement and practice of both ethical precepts and legal provisions are inextricably linked to a set of notions that are hardly carved in stone and universally acknowledged. Hence, the time at which a human life (whether embryo or fetus) is deemed a fully-fledged human being has far-reaching ramifications that encompass the crucial realms of health care, law- and policy making and the inalienable right of individual autonomy of all humans [ 99 ]. There are no easy answers in our ever more culturally and ethically diverse societies: one-size-fits-all approaches seem doomed to fail, yet finding common ground is vital.…”