Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 7, 2026
07:14
Ex Utero Culture of Mouse Embryos from Pregastrulation to Advanced Organogenesis
Published on: October 19, 2021
Orphaned at conception: the uncanny offspring of embryos
1Centre for Human Bioethics, Clayton, Victoria, Australia. robert.sparrow@arts.monash.edu.au
Bioethics
|November 3, 2010
Summary
Children conceived from stem cell-derived gametes may have no genetic parents. This emerging reproductive technology raises novel ethical questions regarding genetic lineage and parental identity.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Science
- Bioethics
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) have faced ethical challenges regarding parental identity.
- Previous ART advancements have not resulted in children truly 'without parents' in a genetic sense.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the novel ethical claim of children born 'without parents' using future reproductive technologies.
- To define 'genetic parents' based on gene inheritance (50% of genes).
- To explore the ethical implications of using stem cell-derived gametes from in vitro fertilization (IVF) embryos.
Main Methods:
- Philosophical and ethical analysis of reproductive concepts.
- Definition of genetic parentage based on genetic contribution.
- Hypothetical scenario analysis of a new reproductive technology.
Main Results:
- Children conceived from stem cell-derived gametes (from discarded IVF embryos) would lack genetic parents.
- This scenario represents a unique departure from all prior reproductive contexts.
- The creation of such embryos may be morally preferable to existing alternatives in specific situations.
Conclusions:
- A new reproductive technology could lead to children with no genetic parents.
- This possibility necessitates careful ethical consideration and debate.
- The ethical permissibility of this technology warrants further investigation.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Development of the Sexual Organs in the Embryo and Fetus
Development of the reproductive organs in an embryo starts from a bipotential state. This means the early embryo can develop either male or female reproductive organs. The formation of these organs begins with the growth of gonadal ridges that arise from the intermediate mesoderm during the fifth week of development.
Near the gonadal ridges, two duct systems are present: the mesonephric ducts (Wolffian ducts) and paramesonephric ducts (Müllerian ducts). These ducts form the basis for the male...
Near the gonadal ridges, two duct systems are present: the mesonephric ducts (Wolffian ducts) and paramesonephric ducts (Müllerian ducts). These ducts form the basis for the male...
01:10Zygotic Development And Stem Cell Formation
The development of all multicellular organisms starts with the fusion of haploid cells called sperm and egg to form a diploid zygote. A zygote is a totipotent cell that can develop into a complete organism. The zygote undergoes cell division or cleavage to form an 8-cell mass. Until this stage, the cells are spherical, loosely attached, and remain totipotent. Totipotent cells are capable of developing both the embryonic and the extraembryonic tissues. However, as they continue to divide, they...
01:33Cleavage and Blastulation
After a large-single-celled zygote is produced via fertilization, the process of cleavage occurs while zygotes travel through the uterine tube. Cleavage is a mitotic cell division that does not result in growth. With each round of successive cell division, daughter cells get increasingly smaller.
01:27Reproductive Cloning
Reproductive cloning is the process of producing a genetically identical copy—a clone—of an entire organism. While clones can be produced by splitting an early embryo—similar to what happens naturally with identical twins—cloning of adult animals is usually done by a process called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT).
Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer
In SCNT, an egg cell is taken from an animal and its nucleus is removed, creating an enucleated egg. Then a somatic cell—any cell that is not a sex...
Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer
In SCNT, an egg cell is taken from an animal and its nucleus is removed, creating an enucleated egg. Then a somatic cell—any cell that is not a sex...
01:07Teratogenicity
The ability of a drug to produce structural deformations and functional abnormalities in the developing embryo or the fetus is called teratogenicity, and the drug producing this effect is known as a teratogen. Teratogenic effects include stillbirth, miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, and neurocognitive delay. A teratogen may affect the embryo at different stages of development, which is important in determining the type and extent of the damage. During blastocyst formation, the early...
00:58Embryonic Stem Cells
Embryonic stem (ES) cells are undifferentiated pluripotent cells, meaning they can produce any cell type in the body. This gives them tremendous potential in science and medicine since they can generate specific cell types for use in research or to replace body cells lost due to damage or disease.