Embryo transfer Health Dictionary

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Embryo Transfer: From 2 Different Sources

Embryo transfer is the process whereby the initial stages of procreation are produced outside the human body and completed in the uterus or womb. The procedure is also known as ‘embryo transplantation’ and ‘in vitro fertilisation’ (IVF). It consists of extracting an ovum (or egg) from the prospective mother’s body and placing this in a dish where it is mixed with the male partner’s SEMEN and special nutrient ?uids. After the ovum is fertilised by the sperm it is transferred to another dish containing a special nutrient solution. Here it is left for several days while the normal early stages of development (see FETUS) take place. The early EMBRYO, as it has then become, is then implanted in the mother’s uterus, where it ‘takes root’ and develops as a normal fetus.

The ?rst ‘test-tube baby’ – to use the popular, and widely used, term for such a child – was born by CAESAREAN SECTION in England on 25 July 1978. Many other children conceived in this manner have since been born, and, though only 10 per cent of women conceive at the ?rst attempt, the overall success rate is improving. Embryo transplantation and research are controversial procedures and in many countries, including the UK, are controlled by legislation. Embryo transfer and research using embryos are regulated by the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority (see ASSISTED CONCEPTION; APPENDIX 7: STATUTORY ORGANISATIONS).

Health Source: Medical Dictionary
Author: Health Dictionary

Embryo

The FETUS in the womb prior to the end of the second month.... embryo

Tendon Transfer

Reconstructive surgery in which the TENDON from an unimportant muscle is removed and used to repair or replace a damaged tendon of a major muscle.... tendon transfer

Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer (gift)

Another method of helping infertile couples. In over half of women diagnosed as infertile, the Fallopian tubes are normal, and in many it is unknown why they cannot conceive – although some have ENDOMETRIOSIS.

Eggs are obtained and mixed with the partner’s semen, then introduced into the woman’s Fallopian tubes for fertilisation to take place. The fertilised egg travels to the uterus where IMPLANTATION occurs and pregnancy proceeds. A variation of GIFT is zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT) in which early development of the fertilised eggs happens in the laboratory before the young embryo is transferred to the Fallopian tubes. GIFT is best used in couples with unexplained infertility or with minor degrees of male or female cervical factor infertility. The success rate is about 17 per cent. (See also ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION.)... gamete intrafallopian transfer (gift)

Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer

(GIFT) A technique for assisting conception (see infertility), which can only be used if a woman has normal fallopian tubes. In , eggs are removed from an ovary during laparoscopy and mixed with sperm in the laboratory before both are introduced into a fallopian tube. A fertilized egg may then become implanted in the uterus.... gamete intrafallopian transfer

Transference

The unconscious displacement of emotions from people who were important during one’s childhood, such as parents, to other people during adulthood. (See also psychoanalysis.)... transference

Embryo Research

When a woman is treated for infertility it is necessary to nurture human embryos for a few days (until the ?rst cell divisions of the fertilised egg have occurred) in a specialised laboratory. More eggs are fertilised than are usually needed because not all fertilisations are successful. Surplus embryos may be frozen for use in later attempts to implant an embryo in the womb. Research has been done on very early embryos but the practice is controversial and some countries have either forbidden it or imposed tight restrictions. In the UK such research is controlled by the government Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority (see ASSISTED CONCEPTION).... embryo research

Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer

A type of in vitro fertilization, also referred to as , in which ova are fertilized outside the body and returned to a fallopian tube rather than to the uterus.... zygote intrafallopian transfer

Transferase

n. an enzyme that catalyses the transfer of a group (other than hydrogen) between a pair of substrates.... transferase

Transferrin

(siderophilin) n. a *glycoprotein, found in the blood plasma, that is capable of binding iron and thus acts as a carrier for iron in the bloodstream.... transferrin

Transfer Rna

a type of RNA whose function is to attach the correct amino acid to the protein chain being synthesized at a *ribosome. See also translation.... transfer rna

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