2005年底所發生之南韓首爾大學黃禹錫教授偽造胚胎幹細胞研究數據事件，在國際生物醫學研究領域導致廣泛的討論。本文首先藉此事件說明，為何透過體細胞核移植（即所謂醫療性複製）方式製造胚胎而後取得胚胎幹細胞的過程，足以引起各國生物醫學界之嚴重關切。接著乃就胚胎在我國憲法上享有何種法律地位；尤其，就胚胎是否為憲法生命基本權與人性尊嚴保障之權利主體加以詳細論證；之後並以此為基礎同時並參考與此領域有關之相關國際法規範後，討論胚胎幹細胞之各種可能取得來源，最後並提出若干立法建議以為結論。

In late 2005, it was widely discussed in the field of international biomedical research that Seoul National University Professor Hwang Woo-Su fraudulently reported to have succeeded in creating human embryonic stem cells by cloning. This article explains why the process of obtaining embryonic stem cell by Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (i.e. therapeutic cloning) deserves public attentions. Following the description of the relevant international regulations, this article delves into the legal status of embryo in the constitution in Taiwan. At the end, this article concludes that embryo is protected by the constitutional right to life, but embryo has not been an object of right of human dignity. On this basis, this article discusses various sources of embryo and makes a number of suggestions to legislation.