Quoted from CICERO

Now, since you brought brain death being a cause of death into the debate,

Quoted from joebxr

No where do I say it is the "cause" of death as you have now confusingly added as a factor
into the discussion.  All reading and postings indicates that brain death is another
classification that is used as a medical definition of death....not a "cause".

Quoted from CICERO

Ok, I'll play semantics.

Quoted from CICERO

Ok, I'll play semantics...would a developing human in the womb  be DECLARED dead if the brain and heart stopped functioning?  And since the brain does not develop until week 10, is the developing human declared brain dead until the brain begins to function - then it is alive?

Quoted from joebxr

You always do!
You are trying to force fit a definition into a single category when it's been shown that
there are multiple situations and multiple categories that actually define "death".  For
me to answer your question would require that I define my opinion of when life begins, at what
stage, etc. Unable to provide that clear cut position, there is no way I can answer your question.

Quoted from CICERO

I don't know if you have any children.  But if you do, maybe your personal experience can help you form your opinion.  Like, was there a period of time during the pregnancy that you felt there wasn't a unique human life inside  the mother.  Or maybe you felt as box, it was just a meaningless bunch of cells, dividing just like the rest of the cells in the mothere body.

Quoted Text

.When the human body dies of natural causes, what is the shutdown sequence?
Does the brain tell different organs or cells to stop working including itself?
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Paul King
Paul King, Computational Neuroscientist, ... (more)
29 upvotes by Quora User, Dan Goodswen, Quora User, (more)
When the human body dies of natural causes, the brain is among the first organs to fail, so it is not directing any kind of shutdown process the way an operating system shuts down a computer.

Biological death is a cascading failure of a critical number of interdependent systems such that whole organism recovery becomes statistically impossible. Where the cascading failure begins depends on the "cause of death," however as the cascade spreads, the individual subsystems become less and less able to maintain normal functioning. Eventually everything comes to a halt.

Death by "natural causes" simply means that the cause of death was disease or systemic degradation due to aging. If "foul play" (negligence or criminal activity) is not suspected, then the precise cause of death is typically never determined and "natural causes" is put on record.

The typical order of system failure in human death begins with cessation of heartbeat or breathing, which causes oxygenation of tissue to stop. The loss of oxygen affects the brain first, which will lose consciousness within 10 seconds of oxygen deprivation.  The brain's requirement for oxygen is so high that irreversible damage results after a few minutes without oxygen. The loss of oxygen goes on to affect other organs more slowly. Organ donation is possible because many organs can survive for hours without oxygen if they are kept cool enough, which slows down metabolism.

Certain diseases can initiate systemic failure in other ways. Dehydration, septic shock, or kidney failure affect body tissues by introducing a chemical imbalance rather than oxygen deprivation.

Quoted from joebxr

My opinion is of no consequence, as I do not believe my stance on this topic
would be of influence to anyone else, nor would I try to impose my position
on anyone else. There are some things in life that are personal and not shared
with others, as it would have no purpose. Debate the issue all you want, but
ultimate choice lies with each individual....so my position is of no value (and neither is yours, frankly).

Quoted from CICERO

I understand it's a personal decision.  I'm not looking for you to influence anybody with your opinion.  I'm not looking to impose anything on anybody, seeing I have no authority to do so.  Offering your personal opinion on this subject is nothing mor than that, an opinion.

Though, I have to say...This post was one of your more clever posts in not taking a position or sharing your personal views on the topic.  You jumped in to offer the  brain dead reference, then didn't use it to support any opinion you may have on the subject.  You're like a thread terrorist.  You don't hijack threads, you terrorize them.

Quoted from CICERO

Please JOEY, cite a topic that I didn't offer an opinion.  I can name a topic you offer no opinion - ALL OF THEM.  They must all be personal.  Lol. What a joker...

Quoted Text

WEEK BY WEEK CHANGES

Gestation is the period of time between conception and birth when a baby grows and develops inside the mother's womb. Because it's impossible to know exactly when conception occurs, gestational age is measured from the first day of the mother's last menstrual cycle to the current date. It is measured in weeks.

This means that during weeks 1 and 2 of pregnancy, a woman is not yet pregnant. This is when her body is preparing for a baby. A normal gestation lasts anywhere from 37 to 41 weeks.

Week 1 - 2

The first week of pregnancy starts with the first day of a woman's menstrual period. She is not yet pregnant.
During the end of the second week, an egg is released from an ovary. This is when you are most likely to conceive if you have unprotected intercourse.
Week 3

During intercourse, sperm enter the girl private after the man ejaculates. The strongest sperm will travel through the cervix (the opening of the womb, or uterus), and into the Fallopian tubes.
A single sperm and the mother's egg cell meet in the Fallopian tube. When the single sperm enters the egg, conception occurs. The combined sperm and egg is called a zygote.
The zygote contains all of the genetic information (DNA) needed to become a baby. Half the DNA comes from the mother's egg and half from the father's sperm.
The zygote spends the next few days traveling down the Fallopian tube. During this time, it divides to form a ball of cells called a blastocyst.
A blastocyst is made up of an inner group of cells with an outer shell.
The inner group of cells will become the embryo. The embryo is what will develop into your baby.
The outer group of cells will become structures, called membranes, which nourish and protect the embryo.
Week 4

Once the blastocyst reaches the uterus, it buries itself in the uterine wall.
At this point in the mother's menstrual cycle, the lining of the uterus is thick with blood and ready to support a baby.
The blastocyst sticks tightly to the wall of the uterus and receives nourishment from the mother's blood.
Cell division
Watch this video about:
Cell division
Week 5

Week 5 is the start of the "embryonic period." This is when all the baby's major systems and structures develop.
The embryo's cells multiply and start to take on specific functions. This is called differentiation.
Blood cells, kidney cells, and nerve cells all develop.
The embryo grows rapidly, and the baby's external features begin to form.
Your baby's brain, spinal cord, and heart begin to develop.
Baby's gastrointestinal tract starts to form.
It's during this time in the first trimester that the baby is most at risk for damage from things that may cause birth defects. This includes certain medications, illegal drug use, heavy alcohol use, infections such as rubella, and other factors.
Weeks 6 - 7

Arm and leg buds start to grow.
Your baby's brain forms into five different areas. Some cranial nerves are visible.
Eyes and ears begin to form.
Tissue grows that will become your baby's spine and other bones.
Baby's heart continues to grow and now beats at a regular rhythm.
Blood pumps through the main vessels.
Week 8

Baby's arms and legs have grown longer.
Hands and feet begin to form and look like little paddles.
Your baby's brain continues to grow.
The lungs start to form.
Week 9

Nipples and hair follicles form.
Arms grow and elbows develop.
Baby's toes can be seen.
All baby's essential organs have begun to grow.
Week 10

Your baby's eyelids are more developed and begin to close.
The outer ears begin to take shape.
Baby's facial features become more distinct.
The intestines rotate.
At the end of the 10th week of pregnancy, your baby is no longer an embryo. It is now a fetus, the stage of development up until birth.
Weeks 11 - 14

Your baby's eyelids close and will not reopen until about the 28th week.
Baby's face is well-formed.
Limbs are long and thin.
Nails appear on the fingers and toes.
Genitals appear.
Baby's liver is making red blood cells.
The head is very large--about half of baby's size.
Your little one can now make a fist.
Tooth buds appear for the baby teeth.
Weeks 15 - 18

At this stage, baby's skin is almost transparent.
Fine hair called lanugo develops on baby's head.
Muscle tissue and bones keep developing, and bones become harder.
Baby begins to move and stretch.
The liver and pancreas produce secretions.
Your little one now makes sucking motions.
Weeks 19 - 21

Your baby can hear.
The baby is more active and continues to move and float around.
The mother may feel a fluttering in the lower abdomen. This is called quickening, when mom can feel baby's first movements.
By the end of this time, baby can swallow.
Week 22

Lanugo hair covers baby's entire body.
Meconium, baby's first bowel movement, is made in the intestinal tract.
Eyebrows and lashes appear.
The baby is more active with increased muscle development.
The mother can feel the baby moving.
Baby's heartbeat can be heard with a stethoscope.
Nails grow to the end of baby's fingers.
Weeks 23 - 25

Bone marrow begins to make blood cells.
The lower airways of the baby's lungs develop.
Your baby begins to store fat.
Week 26

Eyebrows and eyelashes are well-formed.
All parts of baby's eyes are developed.
Your baby may startle in response to loud noises.
Footprints and fingerprints are forming.
Air sacs form in baby's lungs, but lungs still aren't ready to work outside the womb.
Weeks 27 - 30

Baby's brain grows rapidly.
The nervous system is developed enough to control some body functions.
Your baby's eyelids can open and close.
The respiratory system, while immature, produces surfactant. This substance helps the air sacs fill with air.
Weeks 31 - 34

Your baby grows quickly and gains a lot of fat.
Rhythmic breathing occurs, but baby's lungs are not fully mature.
Baby's bones are fully developed, but are still soft.
Your baby's body begins storing iron, calcium, and phosphorus.
Weeks 35 - 37

Baby weighs about 5 1/2 pounds.
Your baby keeps gaining weight, but probably won't get much longer.
The skin isn't as wrinkled as fat forms under the skin.
Baby has definite sleeping patterns.
Your little one's heart and blood vessels are complete.
Muscles and bones are fully developed.
Week 38 - 40

Lanugo is gone except for on the upper arms and shoulders.
Fingernails may extend beyond fingertips.
Small breast buds are present on both sexes.
Head hair is now coarse and thicker.
In your 40th week of pregnancy, it's been 38 weeks since conception, and your baby could be born any day now.