The Miracle of Life - Essay Example

s The Miracle of Life Long gone are the days when the marvels of human conception and foetal development were hidden from view. In Life's Greatest Miracle, PBS's Nova employs microphotography to bring the basics of reproduction to TV. Narrated by John Lithgow, the film shows the production of sperm cells at an average rate of 100 million a day (each constituting a unique genetic package), then contrasts quantity with quality--viewers learn that a woman is born with all the eggs she will ever have.

But the primary focus is fertilization of the egg and foetal development, culminating in birth. Full of fascinating information made completely accessible to non-scientists, Life's Greatest Miracle shows the viewer the first cell divisions occurring within 24 hours of fertilization, the beginnings of the nervous system and brain at three weeks, the eyes developing at five weeks when the embryo is a mere one-fifth of an inch long, and more. Life's Greatest Miracle takes the mystery out of reproduction, but leaves plenty of awe in its place.

This film is an appropriate scientific adjunct for birds-and-bees discussions with children and teenagers. However, parents may want to preview the birth scene which, although sensitively filmed, may be too intense for younger viewers.The Miracle of Life records human conception for the first time on film, and much more. Living, functioning reproductive systems are laid bare to the camera, and there is so much to explore and absorb that Nova's expert guidance is much needed and appreciated. The viewer is also able to follow an egg from its follicular development in an ovary, through the delicate, flowery fallopian tube for fertilization, and on to the uterus for development and eventual birth.

Likewise, the audience follows the shorter journey of millions of sperm as they develop and strive mightily to reach the egg.Among the stunning sequences shot by the photographer is the incredible voyage of the sperm toward the egg. Other events captured in Life's Greatest Miracle include the journey of the fertilized ovum down the fallopian tube, the hatching of the embryo from its confining shell on day six, and the miraculous transformation of an embryo from a ball of cells into three layers from which all the body's organs will emerge.

Human society needs documentary's like this as it helps to educate our world about the realities of human reproduction. If there were more programs such as this one, perhaps there wouldn't be as many teenage pregnancies. Maybe then, the world would realise that the process of reproduction is a very complex and intense situation and certainly not something to be taken for granted.REFERENCESNova: Life's Greatest Miracle (2002). PBS / Warner Home Video, July 16, 2002.