AQA GCSE Using hormones to treat infertility (Biology)

AQA GCSE Using hormones to treat infertility(Biology)

Using hormones to treat infertility

Infertility = not being able to get pregnant after trying.

There are several causes of infertility such as:

1.Not releasing eggs (no ovulation)

2.Low sperm count

3.Blocked fallopian tubes (oviducts)

4.Hormone problems

Fertility Drugs (FSH + LH)

Fertility drugs contain Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and Luteinising hormone (LH). FSH causes eggs to mature in the ovaries and LH causes ovulation, increasing the chance of pregnancy.

IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation)

1.Doctors give fertility hormone drugs such as FSH and LH to mature multiple eggs, not just one.

2. Eggs are removed from an ovary using a needle and placed into a solution in a petri dish

3. Eggs are mixed with sperm in the petri dish to allow fertilisation to occur.

4. These fertilised eggs are allowed to develop into embryos (ball of cells).

5. One or two embryos are chosen and implanted into the uterus of the female. If the process works, then one of the implanted embryos will develop into a baby.

See the diagram below

Developments of microscopy techniques

Eggs and sperm are microscopic.

Scientists must be able to see eggs, sperm and embryos clearly to select healthy eggs, check fertilisation has happened and monitor embryo development.

Modern technology allows scientists to see cells in more detail, handle eggs and embryos more precisely and select the best embryos for implantation.

This leads to a higher success rate and safer proceedure.

Social and Ethical issues of IVF.

Advantages	Disadvantages
Allows people to have babies who couldn’t naturally.	Expensive
Can screen for genetic diseases.	Emotional stress
	Physical stress from hormone treatment
	Multiple births risk (twins/triplets which can give health risks)
	Not always successful and it has a low success rate

Risks with IVF

IVF can:

1.Cause multiple pregnancies

2.Increase risk to mother and babies

3.Be stressful physically and emotionally

4.Have low success rate

Evaluating the methods of treating infertility

The paragraph below is not something that you need to learn, but an example of how to evaluate.

When you evaluate you should give both positives and negatives.

From a patient’s perspective, IVF is beneficial because it gives people who are infertile the chance to have a baby. However, it can be emotionally and physically stressful, expensive and does not always work.

From a doctor’s perspective, IVF is useful because it allows infertility to be treated and helps medical knowledge improve. However, there are risks such as multiple births and ethical concerns about unused embryos.

Overall, IVF is beneficial for many patients but must be carefully controlled to reduce risks.

Practice Questions

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

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

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

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