Write notes on any two techniques in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART).

Explanation

A collected of procedures which includes the handling of gametes and or embryos outside the body to achieve a pregnancy is known as Assisted Reproductive Technology. ART includes
(i) Intra -uterine insemination (IUI): This is a procedure to treat infertile men with low sperm count. The semen is collected either from the husband or from a healthy donor and is introduced into the uterus through the vagina by a catheter after stimulating the ovaries to produce more ova. The sperms swim towards the fallopian tubes to fertilize the egg, resulting in normal pregnancy.
(ii) In vitro Fertilization: (IVF): In this technique, sperm and eggs are allowed to unite outside the body in a laboratory. One or more fertilized eggs may be transferred into the woman's uterus, where they may implant in the uterine lining and develop. Excess embroys may be cryopreserved (frozen) for future use. IVF is used to treat many causes of infertility.
(iii) The basic steps in an IVF treatment cycle are ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, fertilization, embryo culture and embryo transfer. Egg retrieval is done by minor surgery under general anesthesia, using ultrasound guide after 34 to 37 hours of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) injection. The eggs are prepared and stripped from the surrounding cells. At the same time, sperm preparation is done using a special media. After preparing the sperms, the eggs are brought together. 10,000-1,00,000 motile sperms are needed for each egg. Then the zygote is allowed to divide to form 8 celled blastomers and then transferred into the uterus for a successful pregnancy. The transfer of an embryo wit more than 8 blastomeres stage into uterus is called embryo transfer technique.