Embryology

Embryology is the study of development of an embryo from the stage of ovum fertilization through to the fetal stage.The ball of dividing cells that results after fertilization is termed an “embryo” for eight weeks and from nine weeks after fertilization, the term used is “fetus.”

Advantages :

Embryology looks at the very beginning of life from the one-celled organism, egg or sperm. Embryologists examine fertilization and track the development of the embryo until it bears a resemblance to its progenitors. For example, in human conception, embryologists would be interested in both sperm and egg, and the meeting of the two, and then would follow egg implantation and the growth of an embryo until it reaches the fetal stage. So in humans, the study of an embryo would last until about the second month of a pregnancy.

Embryology – the field which till date a domain of a restricted few has been witnessing revolutionary changes. The reasons are numerous. Worldwide we are witnessing an alarming increase in infertility but on the optimistic side remain the fact that more and more infertile couples are breaking the shackles of this so far tabooed issue and are opting for treatment. Another added advantage contributing to this boost is the phenomenal progress in the various fields all of which provide the much needed thrust to embryology.

In the past 2 decades, the field of Embryology and Assisted Human Reproduction has witnessed monumental progress and expansion. The rapid advances and new discoveries in these fields are touching the sky. There is a growing gap between the enormous amount of knowledge and technology generated daily in the field and the dissemination of these to the laboratory professionals.

hus the mood is buoyant and with the intention of providing “Hope to the Hopeless”, numerous infertility clinics and laboratories are mushrooming. All said and done that is not the solution of the predicament as intricate ground work, experience & short comings sharing, troubling shooting, decision making etc. need to be meticulously planned and executed. The new breed of young over enthusiastic embryologists needs to be updated, made aware of the numerous glitches, pitfalls and dilemmas they might encounter and how they could be overcome.

India with its ever exploding population of 1.2 Bn and ticking also encounters a major problem of infertility and it is quite paradox that a country with large amount of population also has its share of infertility.

Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs) which encompass procedures ranging from relatively simple Intra Uterine Insemination (IUI), IVF, ICSI, IMSI, Cryo Preservation and Vitrification.