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Apparently the anti science meme that an embryo isn’t really an embryo isn’t going to be given up easily by ESCR proponents.  Some of the ridiculous comments to my post about the court ruling in Sherley v. Sebelius illustrated how science is being corrupted by those who think of themselves as its greatest defenders.  So I went to the NIH website to see how it defined the term. Waddya know: It’s accurate.  From the NIH:

Embryo—In humans, the developing organism from the time of fertilization until the end of the eighth week of gestation, when it is called a fetus.

Like I have been saying.

Unless the NIH is also inaccurate and bases its scientific conclusions on religious precepts.  Sheesh.

Oh, and here’s the NAS’s definition.

Embryo
An animal in the early stages of growth and differentiation that are characterized by cleavage, laying down of fundamental tissues, and the formation of primitive organs and organ systems; especially the developing human individual from the time of implantation to the end of the eighth week after conception, after which stage it becomes known as a fetus.*

The first cleavage is the first cell division from the one celled zygote that occurs about a day after fertilization in humans.

Like I have been saying.  Unless the NAS is also inaccurate and bases its scientific conclusions on religious precepts.  Sheesh.


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