Q.In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a popular method these days that is helping childless couples to bear a child.
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →In vitro fertilisation (IVF) involves fertilising an egg with sperm outside the body in a laboratory dish, then transferring the resulting embryo into the mother’s uterus. Gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) is not a type of IVF because fertilisation occurs inside the body, not in a lab.
Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) have brought hope to countless couples who face infertility — the inability to conceive after a year of unprotected intercourse. Among these technologies, in vitro fertilisation (IVF) is perhaps the most well-known. The term “in vitro” literally means “in glass,” referring to the laboratory glassware where fertilisation takes place. This technique bypasses problems like blocked fallopian tubes, low sperm count, or unexplained infertility by bringing sperm and egg together outside the woman’s body.
- Steps in IVF
The process of IVF is carefully orchestrated and involves several distinct stages. First, the woman is given hormonal medications to stimulate her ovaries to produce multiple mature eggs, rather than the single egg that normally develops each month. This is called superovulation. The eggs are then retrieved through a minor surgical procedure — a thin needle is guided through the vaginal wall to collect the eggs from the ovarian follicles.
Once the eggs are collected, they are placed in a culture dish along with a sample of the husband’s (or donor’s) sperm. Fertilisation is allowed to occur in this controlled laboratory environment. After about 18–24 hours, the dish is checked to see if fertilisation has taken place. The resulting zygote is then allowed to develop into an embryo, typically over 2–5 days.
The final step is embryo transfer. Using a soft catheter, one or more healthy embryos are placed into the woman’s uterus. If the procedure is successful, the embryo implants into the uterine lining and pregnancy proceeds normally. Any extra embryos can be frozen for future use.
Note
In some cases, a single sperm is directly injected into the egg using a technique called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). This is a specialised form of IVF used when sperm quality is very poor.
- Is GIFT a type of IVF? …
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