Human reproduction cannot take place using only a female ovum any more successfully than it can by using only male sperm. It takes both.
In order to determine an approximate due date in a pregnancy, the doctor normally counts forward 40 weeks from the woman's last menstrual period. This means that the woman's last period is actually counted as part of her pregnancy when she actually wasn't pregnant.
Since I am not a doctor or biologist, I had to get some expert advice on this topic and I chose the Mayo Clinic and according to them, pregnancy begins with a fertilized egg (ovum). When the egg or ovum and sperm unite, they form a one-celled entity called a "zygote", so you see, it isn't called an "ovum" anymore. The chromosomes in the zygote contain genetic material that will determine the baby's sex, eye and hair color, height, etc.
There can be some complications here and I will do my best to explain a couple of these complications.
Ectopic Pregnancy
In a normal pregnancy, the fertilized egg attaches itself to the lining of the uterus, but in an ectopic or tubal pregnancy, the fertilized egg attaches somewhere else, usually in one of the fallopian tubes. In an ectopic pregnancy the fertilized egg cannot survive and left untreated, this type pregnancy can be life-threatening.
Blighted Ovum
A medical condition known as "blighted ovum" can occur in the first few weeks of pregnancy when the fertilized egg develops a placenta and membrane, but no embryo. This condition is normally diagnosed by ultrasound.
We, obviously are trying to determine when "life" begins to support a position either for or against legalized abortion and anyone who has read any of my other articles on this subject probably realize that I am very passionate about ending it.
This article is not intended to provide any advice or opinions as to when a baby is actually a "baby", as I am in no position to make that determination. Even though some states are introducing proposed laws to define "life", I don't think any of them are qualified to define it either.
The U. S. Supreme Court, in its' decision in Roe v. Wade, made the determination that a "fetus" had no rights of protection, so where do we go from here?
I think we all get too caught up in terms like ovum, embryo, fetus, etc. and just seem to forget that when a women is told that she is pregnant, she just tells everyone that she's going to have a "baby".
I realize there are other ideas and opinions on this topic. That's what makes this country so great. Please join me on LinkedIn and Google+.
As a freelance writer, I write on many other topics outside government and politics. If you need some help writing those high quality blog posts, you can get in touch over here. - Ken
