http://www.religioustolerance.org/res_stem10.htm
This photograph shows a seven-cell embryo held between two miro-pipettes.
Portions of six cells can be seen; the seventh is out of view behind the remaining cells.
Two to five days after fertilization, two to four embryos are implanted in the woman's womb, in the hope that one or two will develop into a single newborn or twins. The rest are quickly deep frozen in liquid nitrogen for potential future use.
These are sometimes called "pre-embryos." They have no brain, central nervous system, mouth, heart, lungs, or other internal organs. They have no organs to see, hear, touch, taste; they lack a body, head, arms, legs; they have no self awareness, memory, thought processes, or consciousness. They are smaller than a pin-prick.
"They consist of a number of identical, undifferentiated cells which contain human DNA".
They do have the potential to grow into fetuses and become newborn babies if they are implanted into a uterus.
Many, probably most, pro-lifers believe that they are human persons with souls. Many skeptics argue that souls do not exist -- in either embryos or adult people.
Handling the surplus embryos:
There is no simple way to dispose of the excess embryos. Occasionally, an infertile couple will need to go back for a second try at achieving a pregnancy. This happens when the first procedure did not produce a pregnancy, or when the couple wants to have an additional child.
Two to four additional embryos are then removed from storage, thawed out, and implanted. But even when that happens, perhaps 16 of the couple's embryos will still remain frozen.
The surplus embryos will almost inevitably be eventually destroyed. Some do not survive the freezing process. Perhaps 50% will die during storage or thawing. Equipment malfunction, perhaps after decades of storage, might destroy hundreds of embryos.
Some clinics simply dispose of surplus embryos without freezing them.
Dersom menneskeracen var ved at uddø, tror du man ville beskytte disse og regne dem for menneskelige væsener?
Venlig hilsen
Enoch