Morality in the Modern World S4 Medical Ethics

Embryo Research  An embryo is a fertilised egg  After the 14 th day the different parts of the embryo begin to develop  At this point some scientists believe that the embryo can feel pain  Scientists use embryos in research for various reasons such as eradicating genetically inherited disease  Most of the embryos scientists use come from IVF

IVF  IVF stands for In Vitro Fertilisation  This happens out side the woman’s body in a laboratory  Many people who are unable to conceive naturally have IVF to help them have a child  The woman is given a course of drugs to induce hyper stimulation of the ovaries  This means that she will produce more than one egg in a month  The eggs are extracted and fertilised in a glass dish  The embryos are then implanted in the woman’s uterus  Embryos can be frozen for up to 5 years

What does an embryo look like?

The HFEA  The use of embryos is monitored by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority  It sets the guidelines for the use of embryos in research and makes sure that scientists follow the guidelines set  The guidelines are set out in the HFE act of 1999

The Law  Embryo can only be used until the 14 th day  After 14 days they must be destroyed  Embryos can be frozen for a maximum of 5 years  The research must have a specific purpose or goal  Permission from the ‘owners’ must be given for the embryos to be used  Embryo selection cannot be gender based

Reasons Against Embryo Research  The embryo will not survive  Many people think that it is wrong to end the life of a living being  Some people think that the embryo is a person  Some people believe that it goes against the sanctity of life 