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May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
Howard LaFranchi: NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?
Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: Striving: The People of the Book's Book for (All of) the People
Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
Warren Richey: Teacher fired for being unwed and pregnant can sue religious school, court rules
Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
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Jewish World Review
How Stuff Works: How in vitro fertilization works
By
Marshall Brain
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | (MCT)
In vitro fertilization has been in the news lately. But this technique hasn't been around very long. The first "test tube baby" was born in 1978. For much of its history the technique was so expensive that it was limited in its practice. Today, however, it has so inexpensive and so common that a single mother on food stamps can afford it. Hundreds of thousands of IVF babies have been born in the United States.
In vitro fertilization is the last line of defense when a woman is having trouble getting pregnant. Doctors will usually try several other techniques before resorting to in vitro technology. The most obvious thing to do is to increase the odds of success with the natural techniques, for example by discovering a woman's day of ovulation and concentrating sexual activity around that time. Drugs can also improve the odds of natural ovulation.
If that doesn't work, artificial insemination is another possibility. This technique is easy and inexpensive. Sperm cells from a spouse or sperm donor are injected by a doctor, and everything else happens naturally from there.
But if none of these simpler options is fruitful, then in vitro fertilization is the next step. The basic process sounds simple. A doctor harvest eggs from the woman and places them in a container with a growth medium. Sperm cells are added to the eggs to fertilize them. The embryos are allowed to divide several times. Then they are implanted back into the woman to develop normally.
There are several variations on this basic theme as well. If the mother is single or if her partner is infertile, sperm could come from a donor. If the mother is infertile, eggs could come from a donor. Or if the mother is fertile but unable to carry the baby, her embryos could be implanted in a surrogate mother (also known as a gestational carrier). Technically it is also possible for any individual to buy donated eggs and donated sperm and hire a surrogate mother to carry the baby to term. In all these variations, the underlying technology is the same.
In reality, in vitro fertilization is not simple. It involves a great deal of technology and finesse to get it to work. The process starts with medication that causes more than one egg to develop in the ovaries. When they are ready, the doctor harvests the eggs using a needle that can reach the ovaries. It is not uncommon to harvest a dozen or more eggs.
There are two ways to fertilize the eggs. Either thousands of sperm cells can be allowed to swim around the eggs to fertilize them normally, or a sperm cell can be injected into the egg.
Once fertilized, the embryos go into an incubator so they can divide several times. At this stage, embryos can be tested for things like genetic defects and gender. Chosen embryos are ready for implanting.
Implanting involves placing the embryos into a woman's uterus. Unlike extracting the eggs, the implanting process is simple, usually using a plastic tube. The number of embryos to implant is an open question, since less than half of implanted embryos survive. Because of the odds, more than one embryo is implanted in almost all cases. The exact number depends on the age of the mother and her condition.
Once implanted, nature takes over again and the baby or babies develop normally. Somewhere between a quarter and a half of all in vitro fertilization procedures result in a successful birth. Quite a bit depends on whether the eggs are donated or not, and whether or not eggs or embryos are frozen during the process. Fresh, non-donated eggs have the best chance of success. The age of the mother also matters.
The good news is that the rate of success has been increasing and the cost of the procedure has been falling. This means that thousands of couples who could not have otherwise conceived a child are able to have babies.
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Previously:
How supertankers work
How poisons work
How corn works
How dog ID chips work
How President Obama's limousine works
How emergency power works
How aircraft carriers work
How antibiotics and vaccines work
How mucus works
How iron and steel work
How aspirin works
How igloos work
How the Predator UAV works
How retention ponds work
How water absorbers work
How melamine works
How digital music works
How coal mining works
How an economic depression works
How the liver works
How 3D movies work
How oil pipelines work
How jet packs work
How seismographs work
How Olympic technology works
How Personal Rapid Transit works
How 3G works
How the Global Position System (GPS) works
How octane works
How cruise missiles work
How submarines work
How miles work
How octane works
How food preservation works
How beer works
How holding your breath works
How smoke detectors work
How heat pumps work
How your night vision works
How concentrating solar collectors work
How your key fob works
How the common cold works
How the Large Hadron Collider Works
How making a TV show works
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How exoskeletons work
How an oil refinery works
How landfills work
How the Orion spacecraft works
The cutting edge in HDTV
Redefining the CD
How the HDMI cable scam works
How glow-in-the-dark toys work
How the subprime mortgage crisis works
How gift cards work
How Tasers work
How giant TV screens work
How foreclosure works
How Air Force One works
How wildfire fighting works
How vitamins work
How ejection seats work
How reattaching limbs works
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How sharks work
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How water towers work
How the Dawn mission works
How Kassam rockets work
How the North American Eagle works
Why aren't we flying to work?
How tofu and soy milk work
How Colony Collapse Disorder works
How airbags work
How the U.S. income tax works
How gum works
How caffeine works
How Daylight Saving Time works
How a cruise missile works
How snow making works
© 2007, How Stuff Works Inc. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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