When you have ever taken the ride into the assisted reproductive technology (ART), especially in vitro fertilization (IVF), you must have been bombarded with a flood of terminologies that are hard to comprehend. It is essential to understand those terms not just to reduce your anxiety but also to be an active part of your treatment. This is a guide to crack the puzzles of typical lab terminology in embryology and translate it into simple language.
Fertilization and Early Development
Oocyte (Egg): It is the female reproductive cell that, when fertilized by sperm, can develop into an embryo.
Sperm: This is the male reproductive cell that fertilizes the oocyte.
Fertilization: This is the process by which the sperm cell fuses with an oocyte to produce a zygote.
Zygote: This is the first cell that is created when a sperm and an egg come together, and thus embryonic development starts when the zygote is created.
Cleavage: This is the successive division of the cell after fertilization that results in the creation of a multicellular embryo.
Morula: This is an initial cellular ball that forms due to the separation of the zygote and usually happens approximately on day 3 following the fertilization process.
Blastocyst: This is created around day 5 and consists of an inner mass of cells, which will grow into the fetus, and an outer layer of trophoblast, which will develop into the placenta.
IVF Lab Procedures
Embryo Culture: This is the art of cultivating embryos under controlled conditions in the laboratory so that they can grow before implantation.
Embryo Grading: This is a method employed to examine the quality of embryos in terms of looks and development stage to help in choosing the most viable embryo to be transferred.
Embryo Transfer: This is the process of implantation in which a healthy embryo or embryos are placed into the uterus on the 3rd or 5th day to help with implantation.
Cryopreservation: Freezing of embryos to be used at a later date, which means that they can be used in numerous attempts at pregnancy without further stimulation cycles.
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Developmental Staging
Cleavage Stage: This is the initial stage after fertilization during which the zygote splits into many cells.
Blastocyst Stage: An even later stage in which the embryo develops a hollow mass, which is prepared to implant in the uterine lining.
Embryo Grading System: A system of determining embryo quality, which may be based on a scale (i.e., 1 to 5), where 1 is high quality and 5 is low quality.
Embryonic Directions and Leanings of the Anatomy
The following terms applied in embryology can be of use in determining the direction:
Cephalic: Towards the head.
Caudal: On the lower end or towards the tail.
Dorsal: Towards the back.
Ventral: Towards the front.
These are imperative terms that are used to define the orientation of structures in the development.
Laboratory Techniques
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI): This is a type of IVF in which a single sperm is injected directly into an oocyte, commonly applied in male infertility cases.
Assisted Hatching: This is a method of implantation in which a small opening is created in the outer coating of the embryo through which the embryo is to be implanted into the uterine wall.
Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT): This is a method used to screen embryos before implantation to guarantee the transfer of healthy embryos.
Commonly Used Terms
Beta hCG: It is a hormone that is secreted in pregnancy; its levels are tested to establish pregnancy after embryo transfer.
Chemical Pregnancy: An early pregnancy loss (prematurely before the fifth week), which is how a subsequent drop follows a positive hCG test in levels.
Embryologist: This is a specialized scientist who works with oocytes, sperm and embryos in the laboratory to maintain optimum development conditions.
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Final Thoughts
It might be complicated to maneuver through the life of embryology and IVF, but knowing the lingo may enable you to make well-informed choices regarding your treatment. In case you have any questions or require additional explanation on some of the words, what is even more important is to talk to your fertility specialist or embryologist. Program awareness is an essential step in attaining your reproductive objectives.