NOTES - In Vitro NOTES - In Vitro Fertilization & Genetic Fertilization & Genetic

ScreeningScreening

What is What is in vitro fertilizationin vitro fertilization??

In vitro fertilizationIn vitro fertilization – a process by – a process by which egg cells are fertilized by sperm which egg cells are fertilized by sperm cells outside of the bodycells outside of the body

What is What is in vitro fertilizationin vitro fertilization??1.1. Egg cells are removed from the Egg cells are removed from the

woman’s ovarieswoman’s ovaries2.2. The egg cells are placed in a fluid The egg cells are placed in a fluid

within a Petri dishwithin a Petri dish3.3. Sperm cells from the male are placed Sperm cells from the male are placed

in the dish to fertilize the eggsin the dish to fertilize the eggs4.4. A fertilized egg (embryo) is then A fertilized egg (embryo) is then

transferred to the woman’s uterus - transferred to the woman’s uterus - usually more than one embryo is usually more than one embryo is transferred at a time to increase the transferred at a time to increase the chances of successchances of success

In Vitro FertilizationIn Vitro Fertilization

In Vitro TimelineIn Vitro Timeline

Embryos (Blastocyst Stage)Embryos (Blastocyst Stage)

What is What is in vitro fertilizationin vitro fertilization??

The first IVF baby, Louise Brown, was The first IVF baby, Louise Brown, was born in 1978 - born in 1978 - currently about 1% of US currently about 1% of US births are IVFbirths are IVF

IVF leads to pregnancy about 35% of IVF leads to pregnancy about 35% of the time and live births about 27% of the time and live births about 27% of the timethe time

One in vitro cycle costs anywhere One in vitro cycle costs anywhere between $10,000 and $20,000between $10,000 and $20,000

What is genetic screening?What is genetic screening?

Genetic screeningGenetic screening – looking at the – looking at the DNA of an organism in order to identify DNA of an organism in order to identify genes that cause particular traitsgenes that cause particular traits

Genetic screening is currently used to Genetic screening is currently used to look for genes that cause hereditary look for genes that cause hereditary diseases or for genes that increase the diseases or for genes that increase the likelihood of developing a certain likelihood of developing a certain diseasedisease

What is genetic screening?What is genetic screening? Currently, scientists are trying to figure Currently, scientists are trying to figure

out exactly what it is that each of the out exactly what it is that each of the approximately 35,000 genes contained in approximately 35,000 genes contained in human DNA actually does. human DNA actually does.

Once scientists know what traits all human Once scientists know what traits all human genes are responsible for, they will be able genes are responsible for, they will be able to look at anybody’s DNA and predict likely to look at anybody’s DNA and predict likely physical and behavioral traits.physical and behavioral traits.

What are the consequences of being able What are the consequences of being able to predict all this information about a to predict all this information about a person?person?

How can genetic screening be How can genetic screening be combined with in vitro combined with in vitro fertilization?fertilization? Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis

(PGD)(PGD) – Embryos created through in vitro – Embryos created through in vitro fertilization are genetically screened before fertilization are genetically screened before they are implanted back into the motherthey are implanted back into the mother

What does this mean? A few possibilities:What does this mean? A few possibilities: Carriers of genes for hereditary diseases would Carriers of genes for hereditary diseases would

be able to have children without passing on their be able to have children without passing on their defective genesdefective genes

People are able to choose the sex of their babyPeople are able to choose the sex of their baby People may be able to select other traits for their People may be able to select other traits for their

unborn children that they find to be desirableunborn children that they find to be desirable

Pre-implantation Genetic Pre-implantation Genetic DiagnosisDiagnosis

The Fertility InstitutesThe Fertility Institutes

Which kind of baby would you Which kind of baby would you like?like?

QuestionsQuestions

Who pays for PGD?Who pays for PGD? How much will people be allowed to How much will people be allowed to

choose?choose? How much should people be allowed How much should people be allowed

to choose?to choose? Who will have access to your genetic Who will have access to your genetic

information?information? How should a person’s genetic How should a person’s genetic

information be used?information be used?