[weikel]

Science is absolutely firm on the truth that an individual life begins at conception

Think you got science and RCC doctrine confused there.

[MHGinTN]

Would you like to assign a different starting point for individual human life? It takes nothing to make a statement if you don't back it up with something. If you would accept embryologist, I could offer their comments ont he subject. would you care to offer rebuttal from other science sources? I haven't assert anything of a religious nature; for you to assert the comment is from the RCC and thus my assertion is invalid, so you will appoint an alternate possibility is basically superstitious.

[MHGinTN]

I'm not a Roman Catholic, by the way.

[hocndoc]

No, embryology is very specific on the beginning of life in nature - fertilization of an oocyte by a sperm. Cloning may have added a few modifications to this standard.
However, in vitro fertilization, and nuclear transfer techniques would each have a first marker of success in common with the usual fertilization sequence: the appearance of the processes of nuclear replication and division.

Let's just go watch and see whether the lab technicians can tell which cells are living and which are not, and which are maintained (until the required decanting, implantation, freezing or harvesting).