Assisted Reproductive Technology MCQ - Practice Questions with Answers

• Assisted Reproductive Technology is a number of different processes for the treatment of infertility. 
• It is defined as the technology used to achieve pregnancy in procedures such as artificial insemination, in-vitro fertilization and surrogacy. 

In-Vitro Fertilization & Embryo Transfer:

• It refers to the fusion of ovum and sperm in the lab.
• It is a procedure of fertilisation outside the body in almost similar conditions as that in the body.
• Infertility due to the following causes may be considered for IVF:
  • Failed ovulation induction
  • Tubal diseases
  • Cervical hostility
  • Endometriosis
• This method is popularly known as test-tube baby programme.
• In this technique, ova from the wife / donor (female) and sperm from the husband / donor (male) are collected and are induced to form the zygote under simulated conditions in the lab.
• The method starts with keeping track of the woman’s ovulatory process and stimulating it in order to remove an egg (ovum or ova) from the woman’s ovaries. 
• The eggs are kept with sperm in a liquid for fertilization in a laboratory. The fertilization of egg results in the formation of zygote.
• The zygote undergoes embryo culture for the duration of 2-6 days.
• IVF is followed by embryo transfer wherein, embryo at a stage between pronuclei and blastocyst stage are transferred to same or another woman’s uterus
• Conventionally, 4- 8 cell stage embryos are transferred between 48-60 hours. The transfer procedure is carried out by use of a catheter.
• Not more than three embryos are transferred (per cycle) to minimize multiple pregnancies. However, in women above the age of 40 years, a higher number of the embryo may be transferred. 
• Luteal phase support is given by the administration of progesterone for about two weeks. 
• By this time, the diagnosis of pregnancy can be assessed by estimating human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).
• By employing in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer, the world’s first test-tube baby (Louise Brown) was born in the UK on 28th July 1978. 
• The world’s second test-tube baby (Kanupriya alias Durga) was born in Kolkata on 3rd October 1978.