April 13, 2007

All female conception

The prospect of all-female conception

The results also raise the prospect of being able to take bone-marrow tissue from women and coaxing the stem cells within the female tissue to develop into sperm cell,..

Creating sperm from women would mean they would only be able to produce daughters because the Y chromosome of male sperm would still be needed to produce sons...

"Theoretically is it possible," Professor Nayernia said. "The problem is whether the sperm cells are functional or not. I don't think there is an ethical barrier, so long as it's safe. We are in the process of applying for ethical approval.

Which brings to mind that old feminist slogan  "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle." which I always considered a gratuitous form of male-bashing that I've always considered mindless and stupid.

  Woman Bicycle

Interestingly, bicycles were considered a symbol of female emancipation, a "freedom machine" for women.  Susan B. Anthony said in an interview in 1896,

"Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel...the picture of free, untrammelled womanhood."

She had no idea what "untrammelled womanhood" could be, 120 years later.

Posted by Jill Fallon at April 13, 2007 6:08 PM | Permalink
Comments
Post a comment









Remember personal info?