A High-Res 3D Video of the Embryonic Heartbeat

An anonymous reader writes "Researchers at the University of Houston, TX, adapted an imaging technique called optical coherence tomography to capture 3D video of the mammalian heart as it forms. They used the method to image a mouse embryo just 8.5 days past conception and about a day after it starts to form. In the remarkable video a normal heartbeat is visible. Normally optical coherence tomography is used for clinical imaging of the retina. Having such a high-resolution, non-invasive way to image the developing heart could perhaps help doctors treat congenital heart disorders in human babies."

Re:I don't think so...

[sonnejw0]

I am a PhD student of Neurobiology and I consider abortion murder. Who cares about a heart beat when the embryo's circulation is directly linked to that of the mother? On the contrary, the nervous system is formed in humans within three days, before any woman would even notice being pregnant. In fact, the ectodermal cells that are the undifferentiated neurons destined to become the nervous system are in place and begin their morphological formation before implantation into the uterine wall. All of this talk of trimesters and trigger points like the first heart beat in development are not reflected by biological development, rather they are simple terms we use for convenience.

I don't even understand why people feel there is a need for abortion. There are condoms and pills, plan B/morning after pill, and many other old fashion ways to not get pregnant. What purpose does abortion serve?

Re:Cool tech.

[amilo100]

This paper:

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/252560-overview [medscape.com]

states: Fetal indications for abortion

... The most common fetal anomalies encountered in abortion counseling include most **fetal cardiac anomalies**; trisomy 21; open and closed neural tube defects; limb, face, or cleft abnormalities; esophageal

Re:I don't think so...

[Mr2001]

Emergency contraception is only 75-89% effective [plannedparenthood.org]. That still leaves a lot of unwanted pregnancies.

Re:I don't think so...

[ChromeAeonium]

Statistically, [johnstonsarchive.net] rape is a minority case, so in the vast majority of cases, they are correct. I mean, whether or not the behavior was moral of course can be debated, but the point is it was still the parents' conscious willing decisions.

Re:I don't think so...

[Totenglocke]

Does this 'oops' somehow constitute a willing decision to get pregnant, despite the above, based merely on the fact that when people decide to have sex with a 100% contraceptive method they 'accept' that tiny percentage chance that they -do- get (the girl) pregnant?

As you pointed out, no contraceptive is 100%, therefore any time you are having sex (with or without contraceptives) you are risking getting pregnant. If you're not ready to deal with the potential negative outcomes of having sex, you shouldn't be having it. So yes, it IS a willing decision - a willing decision to have sex. An abortion because of "oops" is a matter of not wanting to deal with the consequences of their actions.

Re:Individual rights.

[sFurbo]

And maybe all the atheists in the world just haven't seen anyone die unexpectedly. (I wonder what the odds of this are?)

Or maybe grief affects everyone differently, and doesn't imply anything about any deity.

Zero. Watching my dad bleed to death did not make me think "wow, there must be a loving god in heaven, loving us all enough to make us die from horrible diseases. How wrong I have been".
Sorry to be off topic, but thank you for writing that response. Thank you very much.