BIOL 4080 – Winter 2025 – Opinion Report 1
BIOL 4080 - BIOETHICS – OPINION REPORT 1
Evaluating a Debate on a Medical Ethical Issue
DUE: Thursday March 13, 2025 (by 11:59 p.m.)
Submit OPINION REPORT 1 to the Dropbox on Canvas
Late Assignments will not be accepted – April 4 is the last day of classes for winter 2024
Instructions for Opinion Report 1 on Embryonic Personhood
Opinion Report 1 is designed to give you an opportunity to consider the issue of embryonic
personhood and the resulting debate that has arisen recently with changes in several laws in the
United States relating to reproductive technologies You may refer to the ethical theories examined in
this course when addressing the concerns as outlined for this report.
Your summary should be clear, concise and the text should be less than 500 +/- 50 words in
length (excluding cover page and reference list). The text should be double-spaced using 12 pt font
in Arial or Times New Roman font and 2.5 cm margins. Use professional language with proper
spelling, grammar and sentence/paragraph structure. Remember that your Report will be evaluated
based on the quality of your writing. Refer to the marking rubric included with the Dropbox for Opinion
Report 1 for additional details.
Use the questions below as a guide for writing your summary:
1. Read the Opinion Editorial (Op-Ed) from the Washington Post (from March 6, 2024) entitled:
“Opinion: Thank the Alabama Supreme Court for its IVF Decision. I’m serious.” by Ruth Marcus
2. Introduce topic outlined in Op-Ed and briefly describe what brought this issue to political attention
and public debate?
3. Define “personhood” and give source. Do not quote directly from source; be sure to paraphrase
in your own words.
4. Does science (specifically biology) support the assignment of personhood to embryos?
5. How do different groups (religious or cultural) define the beginning of life? Give examples from
these different groups indicating similarities and differences on definitions of the beginning of life
and the use of “personhood” in this situation.
6. What are some implications from attributing “personhood” to embryos. Provide four examples of
implications.
7. Conclude by stating your opinion on this Op-Ed and give one reason why you would support or
refute the argument presented in the Op-Ed.
8. Provide the sources of all references that you used in your report using the CSE Number-Citation
Sequence as requested.
1
BIOL 4080 - BIOETHICS – OPINION REPORT 1
Evaluating a Debate on a Medical Ethical Issue
DUE: Thursday March 13, 2025 (by 11:59 p.m.)
Submit OPINION REPORT 1 to the Dropbox on Canvas
Late Assignments will not be accepted – April 4 is the last day of classes for winter 2024
Instructions for Opinion Report 1 on Embryonic Personhood
Opinion Report 1 is designed to give you an opportunity to consider the issue of embryonic
personhood and the resulting debate that has arisen recently with changes in several laws in the
United States relating to reproductive technologies You may refer to the ethical theories examined in
this course when addressing the concerns as outlined for this report.
Your summary should be clear, concise and the text should be less than 500 +/- 50 words in
length (excluding cover page and reference list). The text should be double-spaced using 12 pt font
in Arial or Times New Roman font and 2.5 cm margins. Use professional language with proper
spelling, grammar and sentence/paragraph structure. Remember that your Report will be evaluated
based on the quality of your writing. Refer to the marking rubric included with the Dropbox for Opinion
Report 1 for additional details.
Use the questions below as a guide for writing your summary:
1. Read the Opinion Editorial (Op-Ed) from the Washington Post (from March 6, 2024) entitled:
“Opinion: Thank the Alabama Supreme Court for its IVF Decision. I’m serious.” by Ruth Marcus
2. Introduce topic outlined in Op-Ed and briefly describe what brought this issue to political attention
and public debate?
3. Define “personhood” and give source. Do not quote directly from source; be sure to paraphrase
in your own words.
4. Does science (specifically biology) support the assignment of personhood to embryos?
5. How do different groups (religious or cultural) define the beginning of life? Give examples from
these different groups indicating similarities and differences on definitions of the beginning of life
and the use of “personhood” in this situation.
6. What are some implications from attributing “personhood” to embryos. Provide four examples of
implications.
7. Conclude by stating your opinion on this Op-Ed and give one reason why you would support or
refute the argument presented in the Op-Ed.
8. Provide the sources of all references that you used in your report using the CSE Number-Citation
Sequence as requested.
1
