Deck 3: The Moral Status of Gametes and Embryos: Storage and Surrogacy

Question 1

Technology has changed the relationship in human reproduction. For example, a __________. mother is one who cares for the child after his/her birth and may not be a genetic mother.

Answer 1

social

Question 2

Dr. Graber suggests that there are now 46 ways to make a baby. The technologies create questions about the __________. status.

Answer 2

moral

Question 3

Human is a biological feature but__________. is a social role.

Answer 3

person

Question 4

Moral reference groups are described in different ways. If you describe the reference group as persons and only persons, you are using the __________. label.

Question 5

The rationale of__________. as the beginning of moral personhood is based on becoming alive or having a soul.

Question 6

If you believe that moral personhood begins with the possibility of independent existence outside of the womb, you are using __________. as a transition point.

Question 7

Ethics disagreements regarding the treatment of __________. exist because of the debate about whether or not they are persons.

Question 8

Surrogacy is the legal contract regarding property. Reproductive surrogacy is commonly called __________.

Question 9

The chief ethical issue in storage of embryonic material is __________. of the material and the potential baby.

Question 10

Dr. Graber suggests that resolving moral questions about the status of gametes and embryos requires the use of __________..

Question 11

According to Dr. Graber, what is the difference between a human and a person?

Question 12

Give two examples of ethics issues that relate to the definition of an embryo.

Question 13

List two principles of ethics that can be used to address the ethics issues for storage of embryos.

Question 14

Which of the following most accurately differentiates between the designations "human" and "person"?

A) The term "human" is a label for a biological feature, while the term "person" is a label for a social role.
B) A "person" is a genetic offspring of humans, while a "human" is an entity with a social relationship.
C) The entity of a "human" is a being that can interact, while a "person" is merely an existing organic entity.
D) A "person" has a relationship with other humans, while a "human" can interact with other people.

Question 15

Which of the following moral reference groups is most likely to feel that their perceived value of a male embryo is greater than those of a female embryo?

A) humanists
B) nationalists
C) racists
D) sexists

Question 16

Which of the following best illustrates how advocates of animal rights would most likely debate the moral issue of sentience regarding treatment of animals used in research studies?

A) They would point out the inconsistency of allowing animals to be treated in ways that might cause similar pain in human subjects.
B) They could argue that animals don't benefit from the research studies in the same way a human might.
C) They might show how animals are more humanely treated during food production and other similar circumstances.
D) They could insist that laws be put in place to provide regulations for pharmaceutical companies' animal research policies.

Question 17

A parent that is feels indifferent to a child, though provides basic needs for the child to grow and thrive, is guilty of which of the following moral wrongs?

A) moral pain
B) moral disrespect
C) moral inhumanity
D) moral cruelty

Question 18

Which of the following arguments is true regarding the reason that in our modern society there still is considerable uncertainty surrounding the moral standing of reproductive materials and the embryo at various developmental stages?

A) Government agencies still condone child abuse when it falls within the domain of family privacy.
B) Debate still centers on if pre-birth entities deserve the same moral consideration as animal entities.
C) Questions still arise whether already-born children are fully established members of our moral community.
D) Humane treatment of animals is still not enforced, despite laws and campaigns to provide protection.

Question 19

Which of the following best illustrates the difficulty in making decisions about the separation of roles within the reproductive process that affect the stake of the various parties?

A) The distinction between children that belong to a parent genetically versus children that are adopted is often absent in a parent's mind.
B) Legally, a genetic parent has more influence in the situation of a child being switched at birth.
C) An infertile couple may expend enormous resources in attempting to have a child that is not genetically their own.
D) Adopted children often struggle with more identity issues compared to non-adopted children.

Question 20

Which of the following is true about potential complications regarding pre-embryo decisions that results from the introduction of new technologies?

A) The course of development that occurs without interference from technology has little bearing on the moral issue of pre-embryos.
B) Pre-embryos have more potential for personhood than that of an individual germ cell therefore require more technological innovation.
C) More steps are required to move a sperm or ovum to becoming a person via in vitro fertilization versus pre-embryo implantation.
D) The natural course of events for a frozen pre-embryo is suspended animation without an intervention to change its status.

Question 21

Which of the following is true regarding the variables in ways we think about what constitutes a child?

A) Ambiguities exist regarding the movement of the sperm or ovum on the path toward becoming a person.
B) There are differing opinions based on the time of gestation and the change in status from embryo to fetus to birth.
C) Parents may feel that the pre-embryo is not genetically individuated, and therefore not a biological child.
D) Since the reproductive process includes various stages, it is argued that a pre-embryo is the same as a baby.

Question 22

Which of the following does not show that a pre-embryo falls short of full human status when arguing against the opinion that the pre-embryo is already genetically individuated and, thus, it should be accorded the equal respect due to any human being.

A) Cells have not yet differentiated at this stage.
B) Twinning may occur and result in two separate individuals.
C) The individual is present in an inchoate form.
D) Probability of full term birth is only 25% at this stage.

Question 23

Which of the following underlying philosophical rationales relies most on the transition point of viability?

A) past the twinning limit when genetic integrity is firm
B) identification of personal identity and/or potentiality with genetic integrity
C) transmigration of souls or reincarnation of the soul
D) possibility of independence as an identifying feature of a person

Question 24

Which of the following transition points is key for the underlying philosophical rationale that the beginning of life is sometimes dated from the initiation of the functioning of the heart or the brain in an attempt to make the criterion of the beginning of life parallel to the operational criterion of death?

A) conception
B) quickening
C) organ function
D) preconception

Question 25

Which of the following is a true application of the point about safeguards that the Warnock Commission in the United Kingdom made about respect for the human embryonic entity.

A) The respect of the embryo must be absolute.
B) The embryo is entitled to respect beyond that of an animal.
C) The benefits of research are greater than the respect owed to the embryo.
D) The utilitarian approach will answer all moral questions that should arise regarding embryos.

Question 26

A woman is considering entering into a surrogacy contract, and she is pondering her responsibilities. Which of the following does this potential surrogate mother morally have the most obligation to protect?

A) the fiduciary duties to the contracting parties concerned
B) the embryonic property rights the woman will ultimately retain
C) the responsibility for the life that may result from her surrogacy
D) the possibility of elective abortion if the desired results are not obtained

Question 27

Which of the following is the most important reason why surrogacy arrangements ought to be developed and entered into with caution?

A) Financial gain is usually the motivation for the gestational mother.
B) The gestational mother always has the right to end any potential pregnancy.
C) Intense emotions in the gestational mother may be generated.
D) A relationship with the potential child is expected by the gestational mother.

Question 28

Which of the following is true regarding surrogacy ambiguities?

A) There is immediate legal recourse for surrogacy-related disputes for all concerned parties.
B) A court will usually rule in favor or the gestational mother when disputes arise.
C) Development of technology depends on rules that deal with surrogacy ethical dimensions.
D) Ethical judgement should always be exercised to take them into account.

Question 29

Which of the following best explains why we must attempt to understand the complexities of surrogacy's ethical dimensions?

A) Moral guidelines that deal with already-born children must be adapted to fit within the structure of surrogacy.
B) A consensus on the courses of action that maximise all the values involved should be attempted to be reached for the benefit of all parties concerned, including embryonic entities.
C) A careful and sensitive analysis of the wishes of the gestational mother is paramount to resolving all ethical issues.
D) Resolving moral questions by refining ethics principles calls for having a ready set of rules to deal with ethical dilemmas.

Question 30

Which of the following factors to be taken into consideration by the prospective gestational mother and the social parents, if they are different from the genetic parents, is most important?

A) the commitment to bring the embryonic entities to term
B) the need to refer to embryonic tissue to guide future treatment
C) the aspect of using the embryos for scientific research purposes
D) the possibility that embryonic materials be retained for a legal defense

Question 31

A couple have decided that they no longer wish to conceive a child after having stored several pre-embryos. Which of the following best represents a decision they might make about the frozen pre-embryos if they are absolutists in their view of the importance of preserving embryonic entities if at all possible?

A) to store the pre-embryos long-term
B) to terminate any frozen pre-embryos
C) to minimize risk by freezing the embryos
D) to offer the pre-embryos up for adoption

Question 32

Which of the following best describes the chief ethical issue faced during the middle period of storage of embryonic materials?

A) the question of the prospective gestational mother the social parents
B) the status of pre-embryo to be offered to other would-be parents
C) the safety of the embryonic material and possibly resulting baby
D) the storage and retention of biopsy tissue for future referral

Question 33

Many of the early steps in the reproductive process can be carried out in the laboratory through procedures such as in vitro fertilization, therefore, decisions at each stage whether to move forward to the next stage need to be made. One example of a stage that requires a decision is reviewing the test results for genetic anomalies of a pre-embryo.