El pensamiento biológico y los embriones humanos

Resumen

Biological thinking and human embryos

This article deals with the problems involved in assigning a biological character to the human embryo due to its dynamical nature beginning with the germs cells and ending in the formed individual; thus, neither of these extreme descriptions will suffice to distinguish it. Furthermore, there are not enough objective criteria to determine as to when an embryo acquires the humankind condition; different standards, well-founded in embryological facts, are at hand, but anyone we choose will be arbitrary. This problem extends when we add up the different meanings the concept of “human life” can take.

Key words: Totipotent cells, development, embryo, emergence, fecundation, implantation, preformationism, genetic program, constitutional sufficiency, human life, humankind condition.