CFD 1220 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, Assisted Reproductive Technology, Artificial Insemination
10 Oct 2018
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Understanding Fertility
• Conception
o The fertilization of a woman’s egg by a man’s sperm
o Each month a woman’s ovaries release an egg
o The egg travels through the fallopian tubes to the uterus
o The endometrium thickens in preparation for a fertilized egg (zygote)
o If the egg is not fertilized, the woman’s body expels the egg’s remains and uterine lining during
menstruation
• Fertilization
o Enzymes from hundreds of sperm soften the egg’s outer layer, and one sperm cell is able to
penetrate
▪ Fuses with the nucleus of the egg, and fertilization occurs
o The zygote travels through the oviduct to the uterus, the now blastocyst attaches to the uterine
wall
o Ovum and sperm carry hereditary characteristics
▪ Each contain 23 chromosomes
• Genes
Fertilization and Early Development of the Embryo
➢ Picture
Understanding Fertility
• Twins
o Fraternal (dizygotic) twins
▪ The ovaries release more than one egg, and both are fertilized
▪ 70% of twins
o Identical (monozygotic) twins
▪ The division of a single fertilized egg into two cells that develop separately
▪ The babies share all genetic material
Infertility
• The inability to conceive after trying for a year or more
• Female infertility
o Tubal blockage (14%)
▪ Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
▪ Endometriosis
o Failure to ovulate (21%)
▪ Age, behavior, exposure to toxic chemicals or radiation
o Anatomical abnormalities, benign growths in uterus, thyroid disease, and other uncommon
conditions (37%)
o Unexplained (28%)
• Male infertility
o Accounts for about 26% of infertile couples
▪ Main categories:
• Hypothalamic pituitary disease
• Testicular disease
• Disorders of sperm transport or post-testicular disorders
• Unexplained
Treating Infertility
• Assisted reproductive technology (ART)
• Intrauterine insemination
