This was a compilation I put together in 2012 for our homeschooling group.

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in case it helps. some references.

At the moment when a human sperm penetrates a human ovum, or egg, generally in the upper portion of the Fallopian Tube, a new entity comes into existence. “Zygote” is the name of the first cell formed at conception, the earliest developmental stage of the human embryo, followed by the “Morula” and “Blastocyst” stages. – Marjorie A. England, “What Is An Embryo?” in Life Before Birth, Marjorie A. England (London:Mosby-Wolfe, 1996

 

The new human zygote has a genetic composition that is absolutely unique to itself, different from any other human that has ever existed, including that of its mother (thus disproving the claim that what is involved in abortion is merely “a woman and her body”). This DNA includes a complete “design,” guiding not only early development but even hereditary attributes that will appear in childhood and adulthood, from hair and eye color to personality traits. – Keith L. Moore and T.V.N. Persaud, The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology(Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co., 1998): 77, 350.

 

As a general proposition, every human being comes into existence by the fusion of a human egg with a human sperm, but twinning can result in multiple children from one human egg, and there is the potential for cloning of a human embryo.  – Judith G. Hall, “Twinning,” The Lancet, 362 (August 20, 2003): 735-43.

 

The cardiovascular system is the first major system to function. At about 22 days after conception the child’s heart begins to circulate his own blood, unique to that of his mother’s, and his heartbeat can be detected on ultrasound. – Moore and Persaud, The Developing Human: 350-358.

 

“Human development begins at fertilization, the process during which a male gamete or sperm (spermatozoo developmentn) unites with a female gamete or oocyte (ovum) to form a single cell called a zygote. This highly specialized, totipotent cell marked the beginning of each of us as a unique individual.”

“A zygote is the beginning of a new human being (i.e., an embryo).”

Keith L. Moore, The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology, 7th edition. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders, 2003. pp. 16, 2.

 

“Development begins with fertilization, the process by which the male gamete, the sperm, and the femal gamete, the oocyte, unite to give rise to a zygote.”

T.W. Sadler, Langman’s Medical Embryology, 10th edition. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006. p. 11.

 

“[The zygote], formed by the union of an oocyte and a sperm, is the beginning of a new human being.”

Keith L. Moore, Before We Are Born: Essentials of Embryology, 7th edition. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders, 2008. p. 2.

 

Carlson, B., Human Embryology & Developmental Biology, Toronto: Mosby Publication; 3rd edition, 2004.

 

Tsiaras, A. and Werth, B., From Conception to Birth, a Life Unfolds, New York: Doubleday, 2002.

 

Mitchell, B and Sharma, R., Embryology , New York: Churchill Livingstone, Dec. 2004, p. 4.

 

Valman, H. and Pearson, J., “What the foetus feels,” British Medical Journal, January 26, 1980

 

Anand, K and Hickey P, “Pain and Its Effects in the Human Neonate and Fetus.” The New England Journal of Medicine, (1987) 317:1321-1329. Pain at 20 weeks, perhaps as early as 16 weeks.

 

Moore, Keith L., T. V. N. Persaud, and Mark G. Torchia. The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders/Elsevier, 2013. Print.

 

O’Rahilly, Ronan, and Fabiola Müller. Human Embryology & Teratology. New York: Wiley-Liss, 2001. Print.

 

Sadler, T. W., and Jan Langman. Langman’s Medical Embryology. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2012. Print.

 

In the Womb. National Geographic, 2005. DVD.

 

The Biology of Prenatal Development. The Endowment for Human Development, 2006. DVD.

 

In The Womb – Multiples.  National Geographic, 2006.  DVD.

 

The Case Against Abortion:  Medical Testimony

 

 

How “The Pill” Works As An Abortifacient:

 

 

Mechanism of Actions of Birth Control Pills:

//12.1 Mechanism of Action

COCs lower the risk of becoming pregnant primarily by suppressing ovulation. Other possible mechanisms may include

cervical mucus changes that inhibit sperm penetration and the endometrial changes that reduce the likelihood of

implantation.//

 

from: http://berlex.bayerhealthcare.com/html/products/pi/fhc/YAZ_PI.pdf