Fetus = Parazite?

[G Man]

Yall seriously need some females in this debate to rule out a biased male conclusion. A female certainly wouldnt call a fetus(unborn child) a parasite.

[Deque]

Based on the biology book definition it is a parasite I guess.
But in my opinion it is a difference if the body breeds and feeds the organism without being forced by it or if the parasite forces the body to feed it.
A fetus doesn't do anything to the body. It is the body itself that starts the process to provide everything so the embryo can grow (and eventually become a fetus). It is the body that in some cases decides to abandon the embryo if it is not able to keep it. So in my opinion a fetus is not a parasite and the definition of a parasite has to be altered.

[z3ro]

So in my opinion a fetus is not a parasite and the definition of a parasite has to be altered.

What would be YOUR definition of a parazite? 

[Deque]

What would be YOUR definition of a parazite? 

Just add the distinction that I made to the book definition. 

[EmilKXZ]

Well, following with that Kulverstukas said: What if a baby wasn't planned?

There's a problem, fundamental problem around here in this planet. Human Rights says you must respect the life of a person, otherwise you're a killer (I know there are scales for this, but let's talk in simple terms: black or white). Now, what if a woman sadly gets raped and the criminal didn't use condoms? They are unlikely to care and the woman/girl has high chances of getting pregnant easily. Too much trauma for getting an emergency pill either. So, since its "conception" a zygote is a person. So she can't abort, at least not legally in most underdeveloped countries, which is where this kind of stuff happens most. Pretty much fucked literally.

Not to hijack a thread by misleading the main topic this way, but I personally think that way beyond fetus wanted or unwanted, Human Rights could be adapted to our current needs. Seen the overpopulation mentioned around and in underdeveloped countries, babies born each 15 minutes or so. I've seen in the news that a girl can't save her own life, because she needed to abort but she has to abide to a law that doesn't let her to abort.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/25/world/americas/dominican-republic-abortion-teen/index.html

Some things must change in this world. Radically or not, we, as species can't survive if we can't adapt to the new conditions, and our own laws are starting to shrink our life quality. I have particular thoughts about this kind of stuff, let's not talk further about it. 

And btw: I've been asked several times... what if I myself was aborted? well, bad luck. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose.

[lucid]

I think we are looking at the definition of a parasite the wrong way. I don't think that an unwanted baby is a parasite because in this case the word want is not to be understood as what the person thinks they want.

The end all purpose of life is to reproduce can we agree? If so, then biologically a baby is wanted whether or not it was planned. Your body wants a baby whether you want it or not. If a baby was a parasite your body would probably take action to fight it off like an infection.

So no, I don't think a baby, unwanted by the person or not, is a parasite.

[p_2001]

I think we are looking at the definition of a parasite the wrong way. I don't think that an unwanted baby is a parasite because in this case the word want is not to be understood as what the person thinks they want.

The end all purpose of life is to reproduce can we agree? If so, then biologically a baby is wanted whether or not it was planned. Your body wants a baby whether you want it or not. If a baby was a parasite your body would probably take action to fight it off like an infection.

So no, I don't think a baby, unwanted by the person or not, is a parasite.

What he said better than i could have put it.

[fable]

My opinion is that a baby or child is a parasite. For one, humans are animals thus the definition could apply. For two, the baby or child feeds off of it's mother and father for most of it's life. Dependent on them for it's very survival. My big thing is... The only thing that gives people a bad feeling about this truth is that the word "parasite" has a negative connotation. Who decided that "parasites" have to be bad. After all there are some medical treatments that apply leaches for blood diseases, or maggots to eat the infection away from a person's limb. Applying the term "parasite" is only a bad thing if you let it be. Heck, even our pets can be labeled as parasites. Or what about our want to live being a parasite to our well being, in that we fight for survival at even the expense of our happiness.

[p_2001]

www.fightaging.org/archives/2011/11/fetal-stem-cells-can-repair-the-mother-during-pregnancy.php

[Deque]

Good link p_2001.

I want to add this definition from Wikipedia:

Parasitism is a non-mutual relationship between organisms of different species where one organism, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the other, the host.

A baby is of the same species as its mother, so it is no parasite.

[iTpHo3NiX]

Good link p_2001.

I want to add this definition from Wikipedia:

A baby is of the same species as its mother, so it is no parasite.

<3 +1


I'm sorry but I can never look in the eyes of my beautiful newborn baby girl and call her a parasite.