Final answer:
The Supreme Court case central to the pro-life and pro-choice debate is Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion under certain circumstances in 1973 and is based on the right to privacy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Supreme Court case that has been central to the debate between pro-life and pro-choice groups is Roe v. Wade. In this landmark decision, the Court ruled that a woman's right to an abortion fell within the right to privacy protected by the Fourteenth Amendment, leading to the legalization of abortion under certain circumstances. This 1973 ruling established a trimester framework that allows state regulation of abortion in the second and third trimesters based on health concerns. The decision overturned a Texas law that banned abortions except to save a mother's life, marking a significant victory for the feminist movement and sparking ongoing national debate.