Abortion should be legal

A fetus is a form of life. It is made up of live cells; it grows and processes energy, and has the potential to mature. However, this does not mean that abortion is killing another human being. Although a fetus is "alive", so are all of the other cells in a human body. A fetus is a part of a woman"s body; it develops because the woman"s physiology causes changes and development to occur. Conceptions, as well as pregnancies, are both processes. Therefore life is a process as well, not simply a point in time. Human reproduction begins with fertilization- when a sperm cell and an egg cell* are unified, and the chromosomes necessary to form an embryo are fused. The now-fertilized egg is referred to as a zygote. Sperm penetration causes depolarization and results in the last round of division in the nucleus of the egg, forming a pronucleus containing one set of genetic information. Once the pronuclei from both the sperm and egg merge, cell division begins. After this, the still dividing zygote is pushed through the Fallopian tube. Once the zygote contains about 100 cells, it is called a blastocyst. When a blastocyst reaches the uterine lining, it implants itself and the actual pregnancy begins. However, it is important to note that there is a flaw with the "life begins at conception" argument due to the fact that only a fraction of zygotes/blastocysts proceed to form a human being, and that the blastocyst can fail to implant as well. If it fails to implant, it can be passed through something such as the woman"s menstrual cycle. If this occurs, and the zygote is considered a human being, is it now an accidental murder? This can certainly be considered a sort of spontaneous abortion. It only has the potential to become a human, which is not actually equal to being one. Continuing on the process of the actual pregnancy itself, if the egg sticks to the lining of the uterus, it triggers hormonal changes which prevent the woman"s next menstrual period from occurring. Once the blastocyst implants, it is an embryo. The shape of it changes due to cells beginning to shift to different positions, taking on different functions and forming different tissues that will later become various parts of the body. The entire embryo, at this point, is still only about 2 millimeters in size. Later, the placenta forms and connects the embryo to the blood circulation system of the woman. Throughout the entire pregnancy, it remains attached to the placenta. The embryo cannot survive independent of the mother because it is a part of her, just like how a single living cell cannot survive independent of a body. It cannot get its own food, clear waste or breathe independent of the woman. It receives oxygen and nutrients from food through her blood. In the third month of pregnancy, the fetus begins to grow arms, legs, fingers, toes, and sex organs. It is undergoing a lot of exterior changes, but its internal organs, muscles, skeleton, and nervous system are underdeveloped. It is now only around 25 millimeters in size. Since it cannot live independent of the mother, it cannot be described as a separate entity. It is also around this point (First trimester) that over 90% of abortions are performed. It is very rare for abortions to occur in the second and third trimesters, and it is only performed in the third trimester to save the woman"s life due to complications arising from the pregnancy. Abortion in the second trimester can be performed. But it can be difficult for women to find a doctor to do it. And this can be extremely difficult, as well as harmful, for the woman, both physically and emotionally. The woman will sometimes be left alone, in an induced labor, to expel the fetus. Increasing state laws that impose waiting periods and the lack of abortion facilities in rural areas will likely force more women to have abortions in the second trimester. During the third trimester, during the 8th and 9th months, final organ formation takes place, this is also when new brain cells are formed and major nerve tracks develop. However, much of the brain development that occurs in humans takes place in the 6+ months after birth. The fetus has little to no chance of surviving in the 7th month of pregnancy if a premature birth occurs- due to the fact that its internal organs are not developed enough. At the end of the nine months of pregnancy, the fetus has developed enough to be born and live independently of the mother. As soon as the umbilical cord connecting the woman and fetus is cut, the supply of the woman"s oxygen to the fetus is cut and the newborn takes its first independent breath. This is when it is an independent human. It is then it is a baby. *With the mentality that a zygote should be protected because it can form a human being, why do we not also protect male sperm and female eggs (of which are living cells); because they can form a zygote which can form a human being? Would this label a male who has masturbated a mass murderer for killing around 250 million sperm cells?