 In our previous video, we discussed about artificial insemination that is used if there is a problem with the male sperm and then we discussed about gamet intra-fellopian transfer which is a technique used if there is a problem in the release of egg. So in this video, we are going to talk about certain techniques that will help if there is some problem in the fertilization or implantation of the embryo in the female partner. Alright, so let's assume a situation in which a woman releases a perfectly healthy egg every month. There is no problem in the egg release but even then she feels to conceive. So in situations like those, there can be a problem with fertilization. Well, again, we are talking about a female that has a male partner with perfectly healthy sperm count. So even then, how can fertilization be impacted? Well, in certain women, the oviduct or the fallopian tube can be blocked at certain places. So in situations like those, the sperm can't swim all the way up to the egg and that is the reason fertilization do not occur. Or sometimes the pH in the uterus or the fallopian tube is such that the sperms do not survive and therefore can't fertilize the egg. So what do we do then? Well, it is very interesting to know that scientists somewhere back in the 1970s had found out how to fertilize the egg and the sperm outside the female's body. Yes, outside the mother's body. So the procedure begins by stimulating the ovaries with hormone shots so that the ovaries release more than one ovar, which is not normal but very necessary for this process so that the fertilization rate or the success rate is increased. So the ovar is surgically extracted in a petri dish where the ovar is put together with the sperm in a nutritive broth and the condition is made such that it resembles the female fallopian tube. Now after successful fertilization the single cell the zygote is allowed to grow up to the 8-plastomere stage. So it is allowed to grow up to 8-plastomere stage or sometimes even less and then they are transferred. So this is the 8-plastomere stage and in this stage they are very carefully selected and carefully transferred either into the fallopian tube or into the uterus of the female partner. So if it is transferred into the fallopian tube it is called zygote intra-fallopian transfer. And if it is placed in the uterus it is called intra-uterine transfer. Now in this case we saw that the fertilization took place outside the female's body right in glass petri dishes. Therefore this type of transfer of the zygote comes under in vitro fertilization. Now in vitro simply means glass since fertilization took place in glass petri dishes it is called in vitro fertilization. Now babies that are born through in vitro fertilization are called test tube babies. When I was young and I heard of this term for the first time I thought a complete baby is born in a test tube but that's not true. We have learned already that in the 8-cell stage it is transferred into the female's body. But why can't we grow a full baby in a test tube or in a lab condition? So the reason is there is nothing in the world that is created till now that can provide the condition of an uterus. Or I should say there is no artificial uterus created till now. So at max up to a few cells stage the zygote or the embryo can develop outside. But after that it needs a living uterus to grow and develop. Alright now talking about test tube babies do you want to know who the world's first test tube baby is? It is Mary Louie Brown who was born on July 25th 1978 because of the miraculous work of Patrick Steptoe and Robert Adwords. And because of their great contribution they were able to bag the Nobel Prize for Physiology in the year 2010. But when was India's first test tube baby born? What do you think? Well right after 67 days. Can you believe it? The first India's test tube baby Kanupriya Agarwal also nicknamed as Durga was born on October 3rd 1978. And she was born because of the great work by Dr. Subhash Chatterjee. Now he was very ahead of the scientist of his time in India. The work went unrecognized and not just that scientific community back then looked at him with total disbelief. So on one hand where the scientist of England were applauded and their work was recognized. On the other hand in India Dr. Chatterjee's life took a traumatic turn. It became so traumatic that he committed suicide. Yes so his life story is a very tragic one but it is a very interesting story and I'm pretty sure you would love reading about him. So with this the scientist solved the problem of fertilization. If fertilization is not happening inside the female's body we can do it outside and now we call it in vitro fertilization. Now with time these techniques have become more advanced and scientists are able to solve even deeper problems. So sometimes even if the ovum and the sperm is placed in a petri dish in a nutrient broth and the conditions are made suitable even then fertilization do not take place. So scientists have later come up with something called intra cytoplasmic sperm injection. In that with a very micro needle sperm or I should say the nucleus part of the sperm is very carefully injected into the ovum. So even the fusion part of fertilization is done artificially. Just imagine how scientifically advanced we humans have become. Right now as there's a zygote or the embryo develops it is very carefully placed in the fallopian tube of the female partner. Just how we did the zygote intra fallopian transfer remember. So after intra cytoplasmic sperm injection we have to do the zygote intra fallopian transfer. Okay so I have quickly changed the color of intra cytoplasmic sperm injection because it is solving the purpose of fertilization. Right so since it is yellow I have made it in yellow again. Alright now let's move on to the next problem which is implantation. Now if a female partner is releasing egg properly she is providing just fine condition for fertilization but even then she is not able to conceive. So then the problem must be with her uterine wall. Uterine wall is not favoring implantation. So what do we do then because as we just discussed no artificial uterus is made. So then we need to take the help of another woman and we call them surrogate mothers. Now surrogate simply means to substitute. So if a couple opts for surrogacy then the developing embryo of the female partner is surgically extracted and carefully put into the surrogate mother. Provided her hormones are in proper phase of reproductive cycle for implantation to occur. Now who are these surrogate mothers and where do we find them and why do they even agree on doing so. Well sometimes the couple may choose someone they know to be their surrogate or sometimes the doctors have a list of women that would agree to be the surrogate. Now they do that in exchange of certain amount of money mostly. And does an agreement with the couple to hand over the baby after it is born. So surrogacy does solves the problem of implantation. But all these different processes are super expensive especially when it comes to surrogacy. But apart from the expense there is a lot of emotional factor associated with it. But even then in societies nowadays especially in the higher class of the society surrogacy seems to be a common practice and is very easily accepted. And why just married couples. Nowadays in the society if a male decides not to marry but he wants to have his own baby. So through artificial insemination and with the help of a surrogate mother he can have his baby. So at the end of the day the ultimate goal is to have a child right. And all these different procedures we discussed are very expensive. Now if a couple is someone who can afford this expense or if there is someone who cannot. No matter what their financial status be a couple can always opt for adoption. Especially talking about a country like India where there are so many orphans. And sadly most of them do not even survive till maturity because there is no proper care. So adoption definitely is one of the best options for couples looking for parenthood.