PHI-2630 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Egg Cell, Fetus, Euthanasia
Document Summary
Stages of pregnancy: zygote: the initial cell formed when two gamete cells are joined by means of sexual production= earliest stage, embryo: between the first and eighth weeks after fertilization, fetus: from the eighth week until birth. For our purposes, fetus will often be used to refer to an organism in any of these three stages. Viability: the stage wherein it is possible for the fetus to survive outside the uterus. Sometimes abortion is defined as the termination of a pregnancy before viability. Notice that on this definition, an abortion can occur without death of the fetus. Notice that on this view, in order for there to be an abortion, there needs to be a pregnancy. Contraception measures such as the morning after pill are not abortions, since, when they work, they prevent a pregnancy. Spontaneous abortion: the termination of a pregnancy before viability which results from natural causes; occurs without the aid of deliberate interference.
