Does this noble goal justify research that involves destroying human embryos?
In 1978, the first so-called “test-tube baby” was born. This baby was conceived in a laboratory petri dish, not a test tube. An egg taken from the ovary of the mother was fertilized with the sperm of the father. When the fertilized egg divided into more cells to form a tiny, days-old embryo, a doctor implanted it into the mother’s womb. The embryo developed naturally to a fetus and finally a baby was born. Called “in vitro (in glass) fertilization,” this procedure allowed couples who were not able to conceive a child naturally to give birth to their own children. Since 1978, in vitro fertilization has been widely accepted throughout the world (although not by some religions). In vitro fertilization has a significant “byproduct.” Usually, a couple supplies enough eggs and sperm to create a number of embryos. As they divide into more cells in the lab, some embryos are healthier than others. After a few days, a doctor selects one or more of the embryos to implant into the mother. The rest
