Fertility Treatment
This lesson covers:
- How hormones can be used to increase fertility
- What 'IVF' is and how it works
- The pros and cons of IVF
What does follicle stimulating hormone do?
Stimulate an egg to mature
Stimulate an egg to be released (ovulation)
Stimulate the building up of the uterus lining
Maintain the uterus lining
|
What does luteinising hormone do?
Stimulate an egg to mature
Stimulate the building up of the uterus lining
Maintain the uterus lining
Stimulate an egg to be released (ovulation)
|
If a woman cannot conceive naturally, she can be given (FSH) and (LH), which in many cases will restore fertility.
|
IVF stands for:
"In "
|
The stages of in vitro fertilisation
uterus / embryos / FSH / oestrogen / ovaries / sperm / fertilised / egg
- First, a woman is given and LH to stimulate their eggs to mature.
- These eggs can then be collected from the woman's . is also collected from the male.
- The eggs are then by the sperm.
- These fertilised eggs are then left to grow into in a laboratory incubator.
- Once the embryos are large enough, they are transferred to the women's , so that they can develop into a foetus.
|
Sometimes, fertilising an egg with sperm may require "Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)".
What is this?
Sperm swim along a tiny tube into the egg cell
Sperm is fired into an egg cell at a very high speed
Sperm is injected into an egg cell with a tiny needle
|
Why are embryos kept in an incubator whilst in the laboratory?
So that the sperm have a higher chance of fertilising the egg cells
To prevent mutations taking place within the embryo cells
To provide the optimum temperature for enzymes and thus cell growth
|
What are the cons of IVF?
(Select all that apply)
Can cause abdominal pain and vomiting
High risk of developing cancer
It can be stressful and emotionally upsetting
High chance of multiple births and associated complications
It doesn't always work
Have be less than 25 years old
|
Why do some people think IVF is unethical?
(Select all that apply)
It helps infertile couples conceive
It could lead to 'designer babies' if parents can select embryos with certain traits
Some embryos (which had the potential for human life) are destroyed
|
During IVF, where are the egg and sperm mixed?
In a laboratory
In the fallopian tubes
In a surrogate mother
|
What do we call the release of an egg from the ovary?
Fertilisation
Menstruation
Ovulation
|