Debates regarding the status of the human embryo have captured considerable attention worldwide, but this is the first book to comprehensively draw on recent developments to rigorously explore the features allowing us to decide whether a cell entity is a human being.

Introduction

Breakthrough in stem cell research? The reprogramming of somatic cells to pluripotent stem cells. Overview and outlook
Pre-implantation stages of human development: the biological and moral status of early embryos
Complete moles and parthenotes are not organisms
Embryos grown in culture deserve the same moral status as embryos after implantation
Distinguishing embryos from non-embryos
Is the human embryo a person? On the status of cell entities produced through ANT
Does a human being have a right to life? The debate on embryo research in Germany as a case study
Interspecies mixtures and the status of humanity
The boundaries of humanity: the ethics of human-animal chimeras in cloning and stem cell research
Is this cell entity a human being? Neural activity, spiritual soul, and the status of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).