Includes bibliographical references (pages 171-206) and index.
1. The background to the debate -- 2. The sequence of parliamentary debate -- 3. Political parties and ministerial tactics -- 4. The impact of the pro-research lobby -- 5. Embryos in the news -- 6. Women and men -- 7. Science and religion -- 8. The myth of Frankenstein -- 9. Embryo research and the slippery slope -- Epilogue: intruders in the fallopian tube or a dream of perfect human reprodution