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Why these parallels between a human fetus and cancer are wrong:
1.A fetus originates from 2 haploid cells (gametes) one that belongs to the mother (oocyte) and one to the father (sperm), and combined create a diploid zygote which is the earliest stage of human development.
1/7 t.co/B0KQD0N94U
1.A fetus originates from 2 haploid cells (gametes) one that belongs to the mother (oocyte) and one to the father (sperm), and combined create a diploid zygote which is the earliest stage of human development.
1/7 t.co/B0KQD0N94U
The zygote’s DNA is different than the mother’s. On the contrary, a cancer originates from (diploid) cells of the mother’s own body that get transformed to cancerous cells. 2/7
2.The fetus is not a parasite. Here I listed the differences between a human fetus and a parasite: ; 3/7
3.The fetus doesn't “invade” the mother. Within a few days from fertilization, the embryo implants to the uterine wall of the womb where it stays for the rest of the pregnancy. It doesn’t “invade” any other tissue/organ, unlike a cancer that can metastasize. 4/7
4. It manipulates the immunity of the mother: this mechanism is called “maternal-fetal tolerance”, which actually proves how the fetus is a separate human being (not a part of the mother’s body, unlike a cancer): . 5/7
5.Reshapes blood vessels: the blood vessels referenced there belong to the placenta, which is an organ developed during pregnancy to protect the mother, keeping the fetus’ blood and hers separate while still passing nutrients and oxygen to the fetus for nourishment. 6/7
take home message: pregnancy is not a pathological condition, and the fetus is not a clump of cells that belongs to the mother's own body. 7/7
