anonymous:
Often, in your attempts to seem scientifically literate, you emphasize the zygote’s unique DNA code, claiming that gives it personhood. Either say monozygotic twins are the same person or admit there is more to being human than DNA. Doubt you will publish this as it presents a difficult question. As a biologist, I promise that you have the most elementary concept of what you are talking about.
cultureshift:
I appreciate your ability to split hairs, and I have never claimed to be a biologist. Not killing prenatal children really only requires common sense, not science, but I will entertain your question.
I have never claimed that an embryo required unique DNA from any other human being to argue for personhood. My point has always been that because an embryo has different DNA than his or her mother, he or she cannot be another organ belonging to the mother. I have only made this point because some less educated abortion advocates claim that prenatal children are no different than their mother’s liver or kidneys. Pointing out that a zygote has unique DNA from his or her mother, whereas her organs contain only her DNA, illustrates this difference. It also highlights the fact that an embryo is a living human being that will eventually develop into an adult.
To further split hairs with you, research published in the American Journal of Human Genetics in 2008, determined that monozygotic twins do possess differences in their DNA due to copy-number variation.
Though this is irrelevant to whether a human embryo deserves human rights, I thought you might find it interesting. Of course, further deviation between monozygotic twins occurs through epigenetic variances in gene expression over time, but this does not change the underlying sequence of the gene itself. And in case you were unaware, monozygotic twins have unique fingerprints due to differences in environmental factors within the amniotic sacs affecting phenotype.
Sources: The American Journal of Human Genetics, The New York Times