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Updated: Aug 7, 2026
13:47
Ex utero Electroporation and Whole Hemisphere Explants: A Simple Experimental Method for Studies of Early Cortical Development
Published on: April 3, 2013
Arbitrary partitions of prenatal life
1Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.
Human Reproduction (Oxford, England)
|January 1, 1990
Summary
New terms for early development stages lack scientific precision. Their use in ethical debates, especially for assigning moral values, is discouraged due to arbitrary definitions of a continuous process.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Bioethics
Background:
- The terms 'embryo' and 'fetus' have historically segmented prenatal development since the 14th century.
- Recent introduction of new compound terms further divides early developmental stages.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically evaluate the scientific utility of newly introduced terminology for early human development.
- To advocate for the avoidance of arbitrary terminology in rigorous ethical discourse.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of developmental terminology.
- Review of historical and contemporary usage of terms related to prenatal development.
Main Results:
- The definitions of new terms represent arbitrary divisions within a continuous developmental process.
- These arbitrary distinctions offer limited precise scientific application.
Conclusions:
- Newly introduced terms for early development lack scientific rigor.
- Arbitrary terminology, particularly when linked to moral values, should be excluded from ethical debates to ensure clarity and precision.
Keywords:
Genetics and Reproduction
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