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7 - Looking Forward

The Fourteen-Day Rule, In Vitro Gametogenesis, and Ectogenesis

from Part III - Out of Liminality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 March 2021

Catriona A. W. McMillan
Affiliation:
University of Edinburgh
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Summary

This chapter considers how a liminal lens help inform contemporary discussions surrounding embryos in vitro and beyond using three case studies: 1) the 14-day rule, 2) in vitro gametogenesis, and 3) ectogenesis. The first case study is important as it is the principal manifestation of law’s attempt to reflect ‘special status’ on the embryo, and because it is also an example of legal attempts to deal with embryonic processes. This example is used to examine what the context-based approach developed in this book could bring to contemporary debate about the nature of such a rule, as well as its retention, reduction, or extinction. The second example enables us to consider what the analysis offered in this book says about these relatively new technologies in relation to their regulation, and the key biological and legal thresholds involved. The final case study focuses specifically on partial ectogenesis, a technology which not only introduces new thresholds, but leads us to question our existing understanding of meaningful legal thresholds, most notably birth as the moment in which the foetus/baby attains personhood. By these means, the analysis engages with the entire trajectory of embryonic development as this is driven by scientific possibilities, both current and near future.

Type
Chapter
Information
The Human Embryo In Vitro
Breaking the Legal Stalemate
, pp. 178 - 205
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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  • Looking Forward
  • Catriona A. W. McMillan, University of Edinburgh
  • Book: The Human Embryo <I>In Vitro</I>
  • Online publication: 18 March 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108933421.009
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Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • Looking Forward
  • Catriona A. W. McMillan, University of Edinburgh
  • Book: The Human Embryo <I>In Vitro</I>
  • Online publication: 18 March 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108933421.009
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Looking Forward
  • Catriona A. W. McMillan, University of Edinburgh
  • Book: The Human Embryo <I>In Vitro</I>
  • Online publication: 18 March 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108933421.009
Available formats
×