A scientific field known as embryology studies how embryos are formed, grow and develop. It focuses on the prenatal stage of development, starting with the creation of gametes, fertilization, zygote formation, embryo and fetus growth, and ending with the birth of offspring.
An embryologist is the patient’s first babysitter when they are going through fertility treatment. Embryologists create viable embryos that can be used in in vitro fertilization (IVF) transfers or stored for later use. Although the patients don’t always have much interaction with the embryologist team, these experts are actively working in the lab to guarantee the embryos’ healthy development. Teratology, the study of congenital diseases that develop prior to birth, is another aspect of embryology.
Embryologists are crucial to the success of IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) treatments, which fuse sperm and eggs outside of the body in a laboratory.
IVF for women begins with controlled ovarian hyperstimulation, which stimulates the ovaries to mature numerous eggs and to collect several eggs at once. The doctor punctures the mature follicle with a needle and extracts the fluid to be used for the egg retrieval procedure. The embryologist then collects this fluid to examine it under a microscope to detect and distinguish any eggs that may be present.