Embryonic development

[FireGarden]

A short clear description of embryonic development, written by someone who knows the details but in language that is not too technical would help me in a discussion I'm involved in.

For a bonus point,
How many veils of darkness hide the process? (It would be helpful if you could provide support for as many different numerical guesses as you can)

I've seen terms like gastrula, which apparently includes three layers: the ectoderm, the endoderm and the mesoderm, which develops between the other two layers in most animals.

Thanks

 

[Goshawk]

1. You're talking about human embryonic development, or some other critter?
2. How much detail do you need?
3. Sorry, no idea what you mean by "how many veils of darkness hide the process". The process of embryo development in mammals, which includes humans, is AFAIK quite well understood.

http://www.visembryo.com/baby/
http://www.med.unc.edu/embryo_images/unit-welcome/welcome_htms/akgs.htm
http://www.med.upenn.edu/meded/public/berp/
http://fig.cox.miami.edu/~cmallery/150/devel/animal_development.htm

 

[Liamo]

GP,

I strongly encourage you to read Qur'an and Science: Embryology if you are involved in such a discussion.
(cached version here)

Sample:

If it is indeed true that certain verses accurately foretell modern scientific ideas which could not be tested in the seventh century, then it implies that the Qur'an must have had a divine author. It is the intention of this paper to examine what exactly was known about the human embryo at the time of Muhammed in order to see whether any of the theories expressed in the Qur'an were true or indeed well known before this time.

...

Thus according to Muhammed, the drop of sperm remains in the womb for 40 days, then becomes a clot for a further 40 days, then a lump of flesh for 40 days [16]. It has been shown that human sperm can only survive inside a woman's reproductive tract for a maximum of 7 days; at 80 days the embryo has very definitely acquired the shape of a human being and looks nothing like either a clot or a mouthful of flesh.

...

However, the most convincing explanation, and the most worrying for those who maintain that the Qur'an is God's eternal Word, untampered with and free from any human interference, is that the Qur'an is merely repeating the teaching of the enormously influential Greek physician Galen. If this is the case, not only is the Qur'an wrong, but it also plagiarises ancient Greek literature!

Liam

 

[Goshawk]

Well, does he want Science, or Religion?

 

[FireGarden]

Thanks, Liam, I'll check out that link.
And yes, it is about the science in the Quran.


Goshawk,
I wanted science to use in an argument on religion!

On "veils of darkness" I wanted to see if you could find layers of anything (eg: the gastrula. Although abdomin, uterus, fluid are the 3 normally offered up in argument) If the Quran could have gotten away with saying 4 layers or 5 layers then 3 becomes less of a coincidence. Of course, I'll be using 6 layers as a possibility in my counter-argument.

Maybe I should have put it in the puzzles section...
...But it started out in Banter!!!

Thanks for the technical links.
I hope that they're not too technical!

 

[xouper]

bump