“ STUDY ON TEST TUBE BABIES’’

PROJECT REPORT IN

BIOLOGY FOR CLASS XII

(2022-23)

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement of CBSE, Delhi

( PREMEKA.V)

Under the guidance of

Mrs. M. SUBASHINI.M.Sc, M.Ed.

PGT BIOLOGY

Mahatma Global Gateway (CBSE)

Gopalakrishnan Guruvasal,

Veerapanchan, Madurai-625020

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

At the outset, I would like to take the opportunity of expressing my

sincere thanks to the Almighty for keeping me in good health all
through this gruelling project work.

I would like to express my special thanks to my worthy Academic

Director Mrs.P.Hamsa Priya, Principal Mrs. Meena Karuppiah and to
my teacher guide Mrs. M. Subashini who provided motivation and
valuable guidance to complete this project.

I got ample opportunity to do research which enriched my knowledge

and widen my thoughts in this arena. I am indebted to them.

I would also like to thank my parents and friends who always inspired
and helped me to complete this project.

Signature of the student

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Miss. PREMEKA of class XII of Mahatma Global
Gateway (CBSE), Madurai, has submitted his project work entitled as

“ A CONCISE STUDY OF TEST TUBE BABIES” in the partial fulfilment of the

award of All India Senior Secondary Certificate of Examinations.

I certify that this project is up to my expectation and as per the

guidelines issued by CBSE.

Signature of the Principal Signature of the Teacher In-charge

( Mrs. Meena Karuppiah) (Mrs. M. Subashini)

Submitted for the viva- voce examination held on ______, at Mahatma Global
Gateway (CBSE), Madurai.

Signature of the Examiner

PREMEKA.V,

XII-A,

Mahatma Global Gateway (CBSE)

Gopalakrishnan Guruvasal

Veerapanchan

Madurai-625020

DECLARATION

I, hereby declare that the project work entitled “ A CONCISE STUDY ON”

Submitted by me in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of

All India Senior Secondary Certificate of Examinations is a record of main

project work done by me in Mahatma Global Gateway (CBSE),
Gopalakrishnan Guruvasal, Veerapanchan, Madurai. It is an original work
and it has not been copied from any other resources.

Place: Madurai PREMEKA.V

Date:

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION
A test-tube baby is the product of a successful human reproduction that
results from methods beyond sexual intercourse between a man and a
women and instead utilizes medical intervention that manipulates both the
egg and sperm cells for successful fertilization.

The term was originally used to refer to the babies born from the earliest
applications of artificial insemination and has now been expanded to refer
to children born through the use of in vitro fertilization, the practice of
fertilizing an egg outside of a woman’s body. The use of the term in both
media and scientific publications in the twentieth century has been
accompanied by discussion as well as controversy regarding the ethics of
reproduction technologies such as artificial insemination and in vitro
fertilization. The evolution of these terms over time mirrors the perception
of our ability to manipulate the human embryo, as seen by the general
public as well as the scientific community.

TEST TUBE BABIES

Through the work of various scientist the idea of traditional fertilization

and human reproduction through sexual intercourse was no longer seen as
the only means of fertilizing an egg in order to create human life.
 FATHER OF TEST TUBE BABIES

Robert Edwards of Britain who won 2010 Nobel Prize in physiology and
medicine for the development of in vitro fertilization (IVF) is known as
father of test tube babies. Immediately after finishing Manchester Central
High School on Whitworth Street in Central Manchester, heart of the
historical industrial city (now industries have been closed), he served in
British Army and then completed his undergraduate studies in Biological
sciences at the University of Wales, Bangor.

He obtained degree in Biology with major specialization in Zoology and

minor specialization in Botany, and subsequently he studied at Institute of
Animal Genetics and Embryology, at the faculty of Science at University of
Edinburgh. He got Ph.D. in 1955 and joined University of Cambridge in 1963.

Edwards started to study human fertilization and he continued his work in

collaboration with Patrick Steptoe, a gynaecologist surgeon from Oldham.
Edwards developed human culture media to allow the fertilization and early
embryo culture while Steptoe utilized laparoscopy to receive oocytes from
patients with tubal infertility.

HISTORY OF TEST TUBE BABIES

The birth of the world’s first ‘test-tube baby’, Louise Brown, on 25 July 1978
in Oldham, northwest England has come to represent the origin story of
technologically assisted human reproduction. At 8pm on 7 September 1978,
when Louise was just six weeks old, ITV – at the time, the only commercial
television channel in the UK – screened a documentary about her called ‘To
Mrs Brown… A Daughter’. It told the story of Louise’s conception and birth
from the perspective of the main characters involved – her parents, Lesley
and John Brown, and the ‘pioneers’ of in vitro fertilisation (IVF), Patrick
Steptoe and Robert Edwards. Steptoe (1913–88) was a practising consultant
obstetrician, trained at St George’s Hospital Medical School, who had been
working at Oldham General Hospital since 1951. He became known to
Edwards for his pioneering work in laparoscopy, which he developed in his
practice in Oldham. Edwards (1925–2013) received his PhD from the
University of Edinburgh in 1955 and, after several research positions, in
1963 he went to the University of Cambridge as a Ford Foundation Research
Fellow. He became a reader in physiology at Cambridge in 1969 and
remained at Cambridge until retirement, receiving the Nobel Prize in
Physiology or Medicine for his work on the development of IVF in 2010.

MECHANISM OF TEST TUBE BABIES

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a complex series of procedures used to help with

fertility or prevent genetic problems and assist with the conception of a
child.

During IVF, mature eggs are collected (retrieved) from ovaries and fertilized
by sperm in a lab. Then the fertilized egg (embryo) or eggs (embryos) are
transferred to a uterus. One full cycle of IVF takes about three weeks.
Sometimes these steps are split into different parts and the process can take
longer.

IVF is the most effective form of assisted reproductive technology. The

procedure can be done using a couple's own eggs and sperm. Or IVF may
involve eggs, sperm or embryos from a known or anonymous donor. In some
cases, a gestational carrier — someone who has an embryo implanted in the
uterus — might be used.

Your chances of having a healthy baby using IVF depend on many factors,
such as your age and the cause of infertility. In addition, IVF can be time-
consuming, expensive and invasive. If more than one embryo is transferred
to the uterus, IVF can result in a pregnancy with more than one fetus
(multiple pregnancy).

HOW DID TEST TUBE BABIES BEGIN

British scientist Robert Edwards and his gynaecologist colleague Patrick

Steptoe had been working toward it for more than a decade. Edwards had
first fertilized an egg outside the womb in 169, later called in Steptoe to help
him refine technique for people. The pair had attempted implantation in 282
women.

Now 6 million babies worldwide have been born through IVF, according to
the science museum. Debate still rages on over who should have access to
the treatment and who should pay for it- the average cycle costs $12,000 in
the U.S and success rates vary between around 40% and 2% depending on a
women’s age. But the number of babies born through IVF goes up every year
in the U.S., with more than 70,000 in 2016.

WHAT IS THE REASON FOR TEST TUBE BABIES?

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a treatment for infertility or genetic problems.

If IVF is performed to treat infertility, you and your partner might be able to
try less-invasive treatment options before attempting IVF, including fertility
drugs to increase production of eggs or intrauterine insemination — a
procedure in which sperm are placed directly in the uterus near the time of
ovulation.

Sometimes, IVF is offered as a primary treatment for infertility in women

over age 40. IVF can also be done if you have certain health conditions. For
example, IVF may be an option if you or your partner has:

• Fallopian tube damage or blockage. Fallopian tube damage or

blockage makes it difficult for an egg to be fertilized or for an embryo to
travel to the uterus.
• Ovulation disorders. If ovulation is infrequent or absent, fewer eggs are
available for fertilization.
• Endometriosis. Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the lining
of the uterus implants and grows outside of the uterus — often affecting
the function of the ovaries, uterus and fallopian tubes.
• Uterine fibroids. Fibroids are benign tumors in the uterus. They are
common in women in their 30s and 40s. Fibroids can interfere with
implantation of the fertilized egg.
• Previous tubal sterilization or removal. Tubal ligation is a type of
sterilization in which the fallopian tubes are cut or blocked to
 permanently prevent pregnancy. If you wish to conceive after tubal
ligation, IVF may be an alternative to tubal ligation reversal surgery.
• Impaired sperm production or function. Below-average sperm
concentration, weak movement of sperm (poor mobility), or
abnormalities in sperm size and shape can make it difficult for sperm to
fertilize an egg. If semen abnormalities are found, a visit to an infertility
specialist might be needed to see if there are correctable problems or
underlying health concerns.
• Unexplained infertility. Unexplained infertility means no cause of
infertility has been found despite evaluation for common causes.
• A genetic disorder. If you or your partner is at risk of passing on a
genetic disorder to your child, you may be candidates for
preimplantation genetic testing — a procedure that involves IVF. After
the eggs are harvested and fertilized, they're screened for certain genetic
problems, although not all genetic problems can be found. Embryos that
don't contain identified problems can be transferred to the uterus.
• Fertility preservation for cancer or other health conditions. If you're
about to start cancer treatment — such as radiation or chemotherapy —
that could harm your fertility, IVF for fertility preservation may be an
option. Women can have eggs harvested from their ovaries and frozen in
an unfertilized state for later use. Or the eggs can be fertilized and frozen
as embryos for future use.
Women who don't have a functional uterus or for whom pregnancy poses
a serious health risk might choose IVF using another person to carry the
pregnancy (gestational carrier). In this case, the woman's eggs are
fertilized with sperm, but the resulting embryos are placed in the
gestational carrier's uterus.

5 STAGES OF IN VITRO FERTILIZATION

OVARIAN STIMULISATION:
The stimulation phase involves the injection of medications for 8-14
days, to induce the ovaries to produce many eggs. The stimulation phase
takes longer if your follicles are slower to mature.
EGG RETRIEVAL:
Typically, trans vaginal ultrasound aspiration is used to retrieve eggs.
During this procedure, an ultrasound probe is inserted into your vagina
to identify follicles, and a needle is guided through the vagina and into
the follicles. The eggs are removed from the follicles through the needle,
which is connected to a suction device.

SPERM RETRIEVAL:
Sperm retrieval is done when pregnancy is the goal but not possible
without help. It is for men who have less sperm or no sperm in the semen
or men who are not able to ejaculate. In these cases sperm can be
collected from other parts of the reproductive tract. For good pregnancy
rates sperm retrieval is used with in vitro fertilization and intra
cytoplasmic sperm injection.

IVF AND GENDER SELECTION: SUCCESS RATES AND OUTCOMES

Intended parents can determination gender through PGD/PGS/PGT- A
during an IVF journey. Given a fertility doctor’s ability to identify XX or
XY chromosomes in the embryo with PGD tests, the gender selection
process is almost 100% accurate.
There are many reasons why a couple or individual would opt for gender
selection. However, many intended parents often chose to use gender
selection for ‘FAMILY BALANCING’.
Simply put, family balancing means that if the intended parents always
wanted a girl, but only had sons, they can select gender during IVF to
ensure a balanced family.
Additionally, intended parents opt for gender selection if they are at risk
to pass on a gender based genetically transimitted disease. In this
scenario, gender selection gives the intended parents the chance to have
a girl or boy, depending on the type of disorder they can avoid during IVF
procedure.
Other cases may include a couple that has lost a child and wish to have
another of the same sex, or the intended parents might simply feel more
psychologically equipped to parent one gender over the other.
 DO IVF BABIES LOOK LIKE THEIR PARENTS?

Because a donor egg won't share any of its genes with its intended
mother, there's a chance the baby will not resemble its mother.
However, if her partner's sperm was used, the baby may look like its father
because they share the same genetics.

That being said, it’s important for couples to understand that nothing is
definitive — giving birth to a child naturally doesn’t ensure they look like
parent and using a donor egg doesn’t automatically mean the child won’t
resemble like the parent at all. Particularly if the parent and the donor are
the same ethnicity, there’s a strong chance the baby will still resemble
parent.

TRAITS AND MECHANISIM

Physically, the child may not resemble the parents, but they may still adopt
their mannerisms, facial expressions, and humor. When it comes to their
interests, talents, and traits, genes are not the sole deciding factor.
Environment and exposure also play a major role during development,
giving the parents more similarities in the future than just hair and eye
colour.
 MATERNAL AGE DIRECTLY IMPACTS THE SUCCESS OF IVF

It’s widely known that a woman is most fertile in her 20’s. Studies show that
women in their 20s and 30s have the most success when getting
pregnant through IVF and other reproductive technologies. According to the
CDC, the average percentages of assisted reproductive technology (ART)
cycles that lead to a live birth are:

• 31% in women younger than 35 years of age

• 24% in women aged 35 to 37
• 16% in women aged 38 to 40
• 8% in women aged 41 to 44
• 3% in women age 43 and older

Age affects the success of IVF and overall fertility in a number of ways. As a
woman ages, she has fewer eggs that are not as healthy as eggs in younger
years. Aging women tend to have a higher risk of developing health
conditions that can impact fertility such as uterine fibroids and
endometriosis.

Aging also increases the chance of miscarriage after a successful IVF

procedure and the risk for chromosomal disorders such as Down syndrome.
 Paternal Age May Affect Pregnancy & Baby’s Health

The full effects of paternal age on IVF isn’t yet known. A select few
studies suggest that IVF success rates may decrease once a man is over 51.
Although only a few studies are available that show how a man’s age directly
impacts IVF, studies show that age may affect the overall pregnancy and the
baby’s health.

Due to random genetic mutations in the sperm of older males versus

younger males, some studies show a small increase in the risks of:

• Pregnancy loss before 20 weeks (known as miscarriage) as well as

stillbirth
• Birth defects such as those that affect the heart and the formation of the
skull
• Autism spectrum disorders
• Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in childhood

ADVANCED ART MWTHODS CAN IMPROVE SUCCESS RATES

Advanced ART methods performed by IVF specialists can improve the

likelihood of a successful pregnancy, increasing implantation rates to levels
that are comparable to younger women.
For example, through preimplantation genetic screening (PGS), embryo
biopsies can be analyzed to determine if chromosomal errors are present
before implantation. These methods improve success rates by identifying
the healthiest embryos for implantation.

DO IVF BABIES GROW HEALTHY

Millions of babies have been born using In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and they
are perfectly healthy. The procedure does not pose any short term or long
term risk to the health of the child. The primary difference between IVF
babies and normal babies is the way in which they are conceived.
In a natural pregnancy, the embryo is formed inside the fallopian tubes. In
each month of a woman’s menstrual cycle, one egg is released from the any
of the ovaries. During intercourse, the sperm enters the fallopian tubes
through the vagina and fertilization occurs. After about 6 days of
fertilization, the embryo is transferred to the uterine cavity.

‘In Vitro’ literally means outside the body and in case of IVF, the egg and the
sperm are fertilized outside the uterine cavity. For the procedure, eggs are
collected from the ovaries of the female partner using Ovarian Pick Up (OPV)
and one egg is combined with about 75,000 sperms in a petri dish and left in
an incubator for about 24 hours. The best sperm fertilizes the eggs.

The embryo is checked for growth and can either be transferred into the
woman’s uterus on day 3 or day 5, or frozen in a nitrogen chamber for a
transfer at a later date. The baby thus growing in the uterus takes the normal
course of a nine month pregnancy.
 AVERAGE SUCCESS RATES OF IVF

IVF success rated directly correlate with age of the egg in cycles without

Genetic testing for aneuploidy.

“ Aneupolidy is genetic abrmomalities that increase in prevalence with aging

and is the top reason for the increase in miscarriages and the decrease in
pregnancy rates as maternal age rises. However with pre implantation
genetic testing of the embryos for aneuploidy, the expected success rates are
about 60-65% per genetically normal embryo.

IVF STANDS TALL IN INDIA WITH INCREASING SUCCESS RATES

In vitro fertilization (IVF) has been a game-changer for India, and this year
marks 44 years since the first IVF baby arrived as a beacon of hope, changing
the history of infertility medicine forever.
The fact remains that India is fast climbing the global infertility chart.
According to a Ernst and Young report, it is seen as a country with 27.5 million
couples falling prey to infertility issues.
Also, looking at the population demographic, even though 65% of people are
under 35, infertility is a much bigger challenge than we perceive now. The
rising prevalence of late parenthood has increased the incidence of infertility
due to declining egg quality among women, thus making it difficult to
conceive. Clinical factors, racial and ethnicity factors alongside issues like
longer median age for family planning and sedentary lifestyles of people have
increased the number of infertility cases. This is prompting couples to opt for
advanced treatment options, thereby, creating huge market opportunities.
IVF JUMPS THE GROWTH CHART
According to the Call to Action, a report by Ernst and young, the fertility space
in the country has grown 20% in the last five years. The IVF industry is
booming. Globally, over 2.5 million cycles are being performed every year
whereas, in India, it is only 2-2.5 lakh IVF cycles that are performed yearly.
The future looks bright as the Indian fertility Industry was valued at $746
million in 2021 and is expected to reach $1,453 million by 2027 with a
potential of doing 5-6 lakhs IVF cycles. The increasing success rates of IVF is
one of the major cause of this growth. Over the years, the success rates have
increased to a 60% YTD. This green signal will help fuel the growing demand
for the IVF sector.

DISADVANTAGES OF IVF
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a complex series of procedures used to help with
fertility or prevent genetic problems and assist with the conception of a
child.

During IVF, mature eggs are collected (retrieved) from ovaries and fertilized
by sperm in a lab. Then the fertilized egg (embryo) or eggs (embryos) are
transferred to a uterus. One full cycle of IVF takes about three weeks.
Sometimes these steps are split into different parts and the process can take
longer.

IVF is the most effective form of assisted reproductive technology. The

procedure can be done using a couple's own eggs and sperm. Or IVF may
involve eggs, sperm or embryos from a known or anonymous donor. In some
cases, a gestational carrier — someone who has an embryo implanted in the
uterus — might be used.
Chances of having a healthy baby using IVF depend on many factors, such as
age and the cause of infertility. In addition, IVF can be time-consuming,
expensive and invasive. If more than one embryo is transferred to the
uterus, IVF can result in a pregnancy with more than one foetus (multiple
pregnancy).