What Is a Frozen Embryo?

A frozen embryo is a human life in the earliest stages of development whose life is put on pause from continued development through a process called cryopreservation. Importantly, cryopreservation does not change anything regarding the constitution of the embryo.

During IVF, embryos are allowed to develop in a laboratory for several days before either being transferred to the mother’s uterus or cryopreserved for future transfer.

What is an embryo?

An embryo is a distinct new human life that forms at the moment of fertilization, when sperm and egg unite. Many people quibble over the term zygote versus embryo, but it’s important to note that although a zygote is the developmental stage for the first 24 hours after fertilization occurs, the embryonic stage is an umbrella term encompassing the earliest stages of human development from fertilization up to 8 weeks gestation.

Is a frozen embryo alive?

Yes. An embryo must be alive to survive thawing, continue developing, implant, and eventually be born. Some argue that an embryo cannot be classified as a living being because they can be frozen, however this is biologically inaccurate. The freezing process simply slows the cellular activity while still maintaining the embryo’s internal structure. Thus, an embryo that has been thawed resumes development because the embryo is alive.

What does the Bible say?

Because cryogenic storage was not around during biblical times, scripture does not address embryos directly. However, Scripture is full of verses that speak to the heart of God regarding human life. Genesis 1:27 declares that “God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female he created them.” As God created humankind, He also created the process of pregnancy when he declared in Genensis 1:28 to “be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it.” If God created mankind in His own image and he says that man is very good, and if God blessed the process of having children, it stands to reason that God places a great deal of value on each human life, including the tiniest image bearers, that of the embryo. Psalm 139 goes on to discuss how we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” by God:

Psalm 139:13-16 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb, I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be,”

In this Psalm, David not only attests to the fact that God saw his unformed body in the womb, but goes even further to say that all his days were numbered by God before he even came into existence into this world. This very clearly emphasizes our worth and dignity in even the tiniest stage of development.

Scripture is clear that although a frozen embryo may be virtually unseen, unknown and unnamed to the world, he or she is tremendously and gloriously seen, known and bears a name to our Creator God.

The value that God places on each one of these image bearers should be enough to stir our own hearts to a call to action, and answer the question that remains: “how should we treat these human lives?” For Christians the answer is clear; these embryos, who each bear the image of God, are invaluable and deserve to be protected. They deserve for us to be a voice and an advocate for them. They deserve our utmost respect and love, and they are a part of the future generations.

Are you willing to answer the call?