Madam, - In his letter of July 29th, Prof Roderick Kernan equates the status of the human embryo with that of a brain-dead individual - neither has a functioning brain and, therefore, neither can claim to be an individual human. I cannot agree because, if you roll the film on, the dead brain remains dead but the embryo develops a brain.
The embryo is the first stage of full human life and has the properties appropriate to its stage. - Yours, etc,
Prof WILLIAM REVILLE, Department of Biochemistry, University College Cork.
Madam, - In the midst of what seems to be an eternally ongoing question about when life begins in connection with the use and disposal of human embryos, it was a relief to read Prof Roderick Kernan's letter last Saturday.
His explanation is so clear-cut and easy to understand that further discussions on the subject should be unnecessary. - Yours, etc,
KAREN HIGGINS, Mallow, Co Cork.