Being thrown into the world - embryonic development and the creation of you

You were once a single cell...

All biography begins with birth. When we were born the process that threw us into the state in which we exist came to an end. It had been successful in attaining for us a unique place in the world. Our thrownness became a settled issue and our potential became an open door.

Every single person that has ever existed was created by the processes leading to birth, collectively called embryonic development. This is the origin of us and our shared humanity, we all attained existence through the same genetic mechanisms.

You were once a bundle of cells...

30,000 genes encoded by your DNA directed the development of that single cell into a human being. It did this by telling your cells to divide and differentiate into the structures of your body. These genes had to determine where your head and feet were going to be, which was your back and which your front, where your left and right would form. It carefully built each organ and laid down tracks of arteries, veins and nerves to connect each part of the body. Muscles and tendons were sculpted around your growing bones. The most complex structure in the known universe, the brain, was also being formed. Your heart began to beat.

You were once the size of a grape...

All the main structures of the body formed when you were about the size of a grape. Your genes then instructed your cells to divide rapidly to enable you to grow into a foetus and and then a baby ready to be born.

Thrownness is fixed...

The events of embryonic development are irreversible; once they occur they become fixed and form the next stage of development. This means any mistakes, for example nerve cells becoming susceptible to Parkinson's or the vessels of the heart form incorrectly, become part of your thrownness and the state in which you exist. Once you are in the world and embryonic development has come to an end, you cannot unravel your development to when the mistake happened and correct it. You can only cope with it after it has become fixed in you.