(Sam) wrote...
spartakus@my-deja.com (Spartakus) wrote...
According to one version of Sarah Smith's story, the abortion was
performed at around 14 weeks. However, the genital organs do not
start forming until the 14th week and aren't visible until the 20th
week. So how do we know that the aborted fetus was a boy? Why
couldn't Ms. Smith at least do some checking before telling her
story?
This is at least the 2nd time I've brought up these points, Sam.
The encyclopedia Americana says that by the end of the sixth week
that the gonads are recognizable as either the testes or ovaries.
Here is a repost of an article about the development of the
children in the womb with the source from encyclopedia Americans.
Encyclopedias are not reliable sources of medical information. And
you yourself demonstrate this by re-posting this collection of
ridiculous, already refuted, misinformation.
Here are some facts about development in the womb:
The encyclopedia Americana says that the heart is functioning as
early as the 4th week.
If you can call a single-chamber squeeze tube a "heart".
Also in Americana it says that "in the 6th week, the major thrust
of organ formation is completed and only a few new structures
appear.
From a post by Bruce Forest, addressing this very text:
"Ridiculous. Not only is the vast majority of development
yet to come, but there are structures that are still
developing, like Meckel's cartilage and the pupillary
membrane that disappear before birth. This is a common
claim in antiabortionist literature, and gets earlie
every year. Last year it was 'all development essentially
complete at 8 weeks,' and now we're at 6 weeks?"
By the end of the week, the face has some recognizable human
features, the general structure of the autonomic nervous system
has developed to the point where some simple reflexes are evident,
Even paramecium have reflexes. As do famous violinists.
and the gross structure of the organs of special senses, such as
eyes and ears, is well established."
The development of eyes and ears doesn't begin until the 6th week.
It also says that in the sixth week, the division of the heart,
which began in the 5th week is essentially completed at that
time and the heart valves begin to form.
Again from Bruce Forest's response:
"Hard to divide a heart without valves.;-) Anyway, the
whole issue of 'when is the heart truly four chambered'
is not easy. The foramen ovale remains open until some
time after birth, and if you'll refer to my circulatory
changes post, you can see that circulatory development
is not complete until the umbilical cord is cut."
The gonads become recognizable as either testes or ovaries by
the end of the week.
"This is not right. This isn't even wrong" -- Nels Bohr
As I said earlier, the genital organs are not visible until the 20th
week. You are implying that Sarah Smith's mother's doctor sifted
through the expelled products of conception (which, after an abortion
at 14 weeks would have amounted to a couple of tablespoons of bloody
tissue) to determine the gender of the aborted fetus. Highly
unlikely!
At the end of the 7th or 8th week the baby in the womb is called
a fetus.
8 weeks, Sam.
I've seen pictures of babies in the womb in the 8th week from
various sources, including Britanica and Americana and they look
like human beings.
If you say that a critter with a tail, a head that is half its body
mass and with eyes on the sides of its head looks like a human being,
I'd say your eyeglasses prescription needs updating.
They ARE human beings.
So are famous violinists and other born persons. What's relevant
here, Sam, is that outlawing abortion gives fetuses a right no born
person, including famous violinists, has: the right to access the
bodily resources of an unwilling donor.
.
