Practice Questions

1.Explain how fertility drugs help a woman become pregnant.

Fertility drugs contain the hormones FSH and LH.

FSH stimulates eggs to mature in the ovaries.
LH triggers ovulation, which is the release of an egg from the ovary.

This increases the chance that an egg will be released and fertilised by sperm, making pregnancy more likely.

2.Why are several eggs matured during IVF treatment instead of just one?

Several eggs are matured during IVF to increase the chances of successful fertilisation and pregnancy.

Not all eggs will be fertilised by sperm, and not all fertilised eggs will develop into healthy embryos. By producing several eggs, doctors can select the healthiest embryo to insert into the uterus, which increases the chance of a successful pregnancy.

3.Why are embryos inserted when they are only a small ball of cells?

Embryos are inserted when they are a small ball of cells because this is an early stage of development where they are more likely to successfully implant into the lining of the uterus.

If they are left to develop for too long outside the body, they may be less likely to survive. Transferring them at this early stage increases the chance of a successful pregnancy.

4.Explain why IVF can increase the chance of multiple births.

IVF can increase the chance of multiple births because more than one embryo may be inserted into the uterus.

Doctors may insert two embryos to increase the chance that at least one will successfully implant. If both embryos implant and develop, this can result in twins (or more if more embryos are used).