Final answer:
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is an infertility treatment where eggs and sperm are combined outside the body and then placed in the woman's uterus. This article provides a detailed explanation of the IVF procedure and its steps.
Step-by-step explanation:
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is an infertility treatment in which eggs are surgically removed from the woman and mixed with sperm to create an embryo that is then placed in her uterus. This procedure is part of assisted reproductive technology (ART) and involves several steps:
- Obtaining mature eggs from the woman through hormonal treatments
- Obtaining sperm from the man
- Combining the eggs and sperm outside the body in a lab
- Supporting the fertilized eggs through cell divisions to ensure their viability
- Implanting one or more embryos into the woman's uterus
IVF can be done with or without the use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), where the sperm is directly injected into the egg. The surplus of fertilized eggs and embryos produced during IVF can be stored for future use. It's important to note that IVF procedures can result in multiple births.