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| STAGES OF EMBRYO DEVELOPMENT |
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| Day of egg retrieval. Motile sperms are selected by the swim-up procedure for IVF or ICSI. |
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An egg shortly after retrieval |
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| A mature egg without its ‘cumulus’ cells. |
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ICSI |
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| A fertilised egg displaying male and female ‘pronuclei’ |
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A 4 Cell Embryo on day 2 |
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| A 8 Cell Embryo on day 3 |
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Morula stage on day 4 |
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| Blastocyst on day 5 |
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Blastocyst embryo starting to hatch from its shell on day 6 |
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| A healthy blastocyst will implant within about one to two days following IVF transfer, very soon after blastocyst hatching. |
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Testicular Biopsy
Among one of the most common male infertility tests that examine the underlying causes of fertility problems is the testicular biopsy. This fertility test involves the removal of testicular tissue in order to analyze any abnormalities that may be causing infertility. Sperm is produced in the testicles, and any testicular abnormalities can seriously affect male fertility.
The following are some fertility complications that may be identified by a testicular biopsy:
- The absence of cells needed to produce sperm maturity
- Hypospermatogenesis (the production of abnormally low numbers of sperm)
- Germinal cell aplasia (lack of germ cells that enable sperm production)
- Evidence of previous testicular infection
- Abnormalities of Leydig cells
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| A testicular biopsy involves a small surgical procedure that takes place while a patient is under light sedation. This involves the insertion of a small needle into the testis in order to obtain a small sample of tissue. The procedure can take between fifteen minutes to a half an hour. The tissue that is extracted is then prepared for laboratory analysis to determine the presence of sperm. This sperm can then be used in infertility treatments usingassisted reproductive techniques (ART). More specifically, the sperm retrieved can be injected into an egg for fertilisation using intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) or in vitro fertilisation (IVF). The retrieved sperm can be stored and frozen for later use. |
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