Question

Explain the concept of IVF.

Answer 1

Infertility is the inability to conceive or produce children despite unprotected sexual cohabitation. Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) include several special techniques which assist infertile couples to have children.

Complete answer:
Test tube baby/IVF:
The baby produced by convincing in a culture dish and nursing in the uterus is called a test tube baby. This method involves In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), i.e fertilization of male and female gamete outside the body in almost similar conditions as that in the body followed by Embryo Transfer (ET). Embryo up to 8 blastomeres is transferred into the Fallopian tube (ZIFT- Zygote IntraFallopian Transfer) to complete its further development. IF an embryo is with more than 8 blastomeres, it is transferred into the uterus (IUT- Intrauterine Transfer) to complete its further development. A development embryo can be inserted in the uterus of another female. A woman who substitutes or takes the place of the real mother to nurse the embryo is called a surrogate mother or genetic mother.

Gamete Intra Fallopian transfer:
This method is used in females who cannot produce ova but can provide a suitable environment for fertilization and further development of the embryo in the oviducts. In this technique, the ovum from the donor female is surgically removed and then introduced into the Fallopian tube incapable of producing ovum for fertilization.

Note: Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) in this technique sperm is directly injected into the ovum to form an embryo in the laboratory. The embryo is later transferred by GIFT or OUT in the woman.