Question

Test tube baby means a baby born when
A. It is developed in a test tube.
B. It is developed through the tissue culture method.
C. The ovum is fertilized externally and thereafter implanted in the uterus.
D. It develops from a non-fertilized egg.

Answer 1

Hint: Assisted reproductive technology is used to treat infertility. In IVF the eggs and sperms are retrieved and made to fertilize in vitro, and later transferred to the uterus of the surrogate mother.

Complete answer: In vitro fertilization is the most commonly performed procedure of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) to treat infertility and for gestational surrogacy. The eggs and sperms of the parents are retrieved and made to fertilize in vitro in a culture medium kept in a petri dish. The fertilized eggs undergo division and then they are transferred to the uterine cavity for implantation.
THE first IVF child was a girl, Louise Brown from England born on 25 July 1978. The technique was developed by R. Edwards and Patrick Steptoe. R. Edwards was awarded the Nobel Prize for the same in 2010. The babies produced by this method are colloquially termed as test-tube babies. IVF is usually needed for the couple who may have infertility problems due to a variety of reasons. Some of the causes of female infertility are:
1. Tubal infertility
2. Non Functional ovaries or uterus
3. Endometriosis
4. Immunological problems.
Male infertility can be due to:
a. Oligospermia, normal sperm count is 15-20 million/ml of semen.
b. Azoospermia.
Persons suffering from oligospermia may contain motile sperms for IVF but not for fertilization in vivo. The semen of certain individuals may have dead spermatozoa, a condition referred to as necrospermia.
So, the correct option is C, i.e., The ovum is fertilized externally and thereafter implanted in the uterus.

Note: The success rate of IVF depends on various factors such as the reproductive age of the female partner, lifestyle, reason for infertility, etc. The disadvantage of IVF is the probability of multiple births which may cause health problems to mother and fetus or may lead to premature delivery.