One's Own Child is a Stranger - 1

From the viewpoint of genetic biology, a child is a new life with the same number of genes coming from both parents; only half of the child's characteristics belong to the mother. Therefore half of their child is a stranger for both his mother and his father. Fetus Grows up in His Mother's Womb as Graft Immunologists studying transplantation have a deep interest in the phenomenon that a fetus can continue to live in his mother's womb for as long as 40 weeks. Although pregnancy is a natural event, there is an uplifted immunological theory behind it. An ovum fertilized by a sperm incorporates the father's genes; so the half of the embryo is not related to the mother. Therefore antigenic substances of the father, not the mother, are expressed on the surface and organic structure of the child's cells. The maternal immunity system should encourage immune responses to those expressions. However, the phenomenon is supposed to be immunological paradox because the mother can bring up her baby properly for as long as 40 weeks. It is explained that a complex biological response caused between the placenta of the fetus and the inner surface of the womb suppresses the immune response of graft rejection1 . There are many uplifted theories behind this; the placenta is made by the fertilized egg but only the maternal genetic features are expressed on its surface cells; the immune responses are suppressed by hormones or antibodies made from immune responses cover the surface of the placenta and suppress the immune response. Once the immunological phenomenon under pregnancy is clarified, it can offer an important clue for the development of necessary immunological suppression for renal and other types of transplantation. It is even said that mother-child relationship in pregnancy is established while fighting with immunological rejection2 which is providence of nature. 1: Graft and graft rejection Transplantation is a process to take living tissue or an organ from a living body and implant it in another part of the body or in another body. The transplanted tissue or organ is called graft. The conditions of transplant depend on histocompatibility antigen, or antigen dominated by the histocompatible suitability. Rejection occurs when the graft cannot be successfully transplanted due to an immune response. 2: Immunological rejection When the transplanted tissue does not successfully survive, this phenomenon is called rejection because it is an immunological response to the antigen of the graft. Kobayashi, Noboru (1981). "Wagako mo Tanin - 1" (written in Japanese). Tokyo: Child Research Net. Retrieved July 8, 2005, from the World Wide Web http://www.crn.or.jp/LIBRARY/KOBY/MIRAI/cbs0125.html

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