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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

Is there a scientific consensus that life begins at conception?

By Austin Tannenbaum
NO

There is no consensus on the definition of life, let alone whether it begins at conception.

At fertilization, a single-celled organism known as a zygote forms. However, this entity does not begin to resemble the human form until about week nine of gestation. Furthermore, a fetus typically cannot survive outside of the mother's womb until the third trimester of the pregnancy.

While it is uncertain when exactly human characteristics such as self-consciousness and the ability to feel pain emerge, the brain and nervous system of the fetus must be developed before these capacities are possible.

Scientists, bioethicists, philosophers and legislators disagree on which of these criteria constitute "life" or "personhood," as reflected in different definitions, theories and laws.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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