"a clump of cells"?

Also, from Richard John Neuhaus in the November issue of First Things...

On the use of certain images to downplay ethical concerns with embryonic stem-cell research, Neuhaus opens this blurb by quoting Jon Shields of Cornell University who notes that the language “that embryos are merely ‘clumps of cells' tends to obscure scientific truth itself."

Neuhaus then continues: "It is to imply erroneously that they lack coherence, integrity, and self-direction as organisms."

Neuhaus concludes with this observation: "Missing from the Left's embrace of these images if some account as to why it is acceptable to build an ethical case on pictures of 14-day old embryos, but not ones that are more developed."