Fertilized Egg example essay topic

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is a procedure that offers hope to couples who otherwise are unable to conceive. This process is important to infertile couples because it gives them another chance of conceiving a child. In order for normal pregnancy to occur, an egg is released from an ovary and unites with a sperm in a fallopian tube. However, during the process of IVF, this union occurs in a laboratory after both eggs and sperm have been collected. The fertilized egg is then transferred into the uterus to continue growth. Tens of thousands of healthy children born into this world are the results of IVF.

Nevertheless, it is important for anyone considering IVF to fully understand the process as well as its limitations. There are six major steps in the in vito fertilization process: monitoring the development of ripening eggs in a woman's ovaries, collecting the eggs, collecting the sperm, incubation of the egg and sperm in a laboratory, transferring the embryo to the uterus, and waiting for pregnancy or menstruation. When a couple is unable to conceive, another woman must donate her eggs to the couple in order for IVF to succeed. To retrieve eggs from the donor, an IVF doctor will first treat the donor with fertility drugs to control the timing of the egg release and the chance of collecting more than one egg. This process is called 'super ovulation'. The egg follicles are then monitored through an ultrasound for four to five days.

After at least three follicles have reached a diameter of seventeen millimeters on ultrasound, another hormone called Human Chorionic Gonadotropin is administered to initiate the final maturation of eggs. The donor is now ready for the egg retrieval process. She is asked to come in one hour prior to the scheduled egg retrieval. The woman puts on a hospital gown while tranquilizers and antibiotics are given through an intravenous line. The cervix is also frozen with a local anesthetic to reduce the pain of the procedure.

The doctor will attach an aspiration needle to the ultrasound probe and advance it though the vagina into the follicles of the ovary. The follicle fluid and eggs are aspirated into a test tube and given to a laboratory personnel to search for eggs. The woman may leave in about two hours after the sedatives have worn off. The In Vitro Fertilization step continues if the doctor is fortunate enough to find eggs. Soon after the doctor locates the eggs and collects sperm, he cultures the eggs in a plastic dish. During the actual In Vitro Fertilization process, a mature egg mixes with the proper number of collected sperm, usually about fifty thousand sperm.

The following morning, the doctor examines the eggs under a microscope. Fertilization is evident if the sperm's genetic material is seen on a small area of the egg. After successful fertilization, the doctor transfers the pre-embryos into the woman's uterine cavity. A maximum of three embryos will be transferred for women less than thirty five years of age. This process only takes a few minutes and is done by placing the pre-embryos inside a fine plastic tube and inserting it into the uterus through the cervix.

The woman can then go home and rest easy for a couple of days. If no Liu 3 menstruation occurs within seventeen days, the woman arranges a pregnancy test with the clinic. Then if the test is positive she arranges an ultrasound examination. The success rate of in vito fertilization is about twenty percent per treatment cycle. One takes many precautions prior to this procedure. Both the man and the woman take many blood tests to ensure the health of the baby.

The woman also need a trans vaginal examination of the ovaries and uterus. Doctors must be aware of the patient's relevant history of medical problems and prior tests. There are some minor risks that go along with IVF such as pelvic discomfort due to the fertility drugs. Also, there is a possibility of infection and injury to abdominal organs from the egg retrieval process. For the majority of couples, IVF represents the final hope for pregnancy after the countless times of failing to conceive. The significance of IVF is that it gives infertile couples a chance to have healthy children of their own without adopting.

The IVF process is demanding, occurs in an unfamiliar environment, cost about twenty five thousand dollars, and has no guarantee of a successful outcome. However, these couples resort to this option in hope of having a baby. Most couples find a way to cope with the stresses of the IVF procedure, and all couples are aware of the pressures which it places upon them.