Identify and describe Key Hormones Involved in Fertility, Fertility Drugs as a Treatment and The IVF Process in the context of the use of hormones to treat infertility (HT only).
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GCSE Biology Revision
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GCSE Biology revision
The use of hormones to treat infertility (HT only)
Hormonal coordination in humans
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Explain the relationships between Key Hormones Involved in Fertility, Fertility Drugs as a Treatment and The IVF Process and how they contribute to the use of hormones to treat infertility (HT only).
Apply and analyse knowledge of Key Hormones Involved in Fertility, Fertility Drugs as a Treatment and The IVF Process to interpret unfamiliar information about the use of hormones to treat infertility (HT only).
Revision summary
Key knowledge
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Key Hormones Involved in Fertility
- FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) triggers an egg to mature in one of the ovaries during the menstrual cycle.
- LH (luteinising hormone) triggers the release of the mature egg from the ovary, a process known as ovulation.
- These two hormones work together to control the release of an egg approximately every 28 days.
Fertility Drugs as a Treatment
- Some people struggle with infertility — for example, some men have a reduced sperm count and some women find it difficult to conceive.
- A fertility drug is a combination of FSH and LH given to a woman to stimulate ovulation.
- This treatment causes the woman to ovulate more than usual, increasing her chances of becoming pregnant through sexual intercourse.
The IVF Process
- In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a fertility treatment where fertilisation takes place outside the body in a laboratory.
- The mother is first treated with FSH and LH to stimulate several eggs to mature, which are then collected.
- Sperm from the father is collected and used to fertilise the eggs in the laboratory, producing embryos.
- Once the embryos have developed into tiny balls of cells, they are inserted into the mother's uterus (womb) to develop normally.
Problems with IVF
- The success rates of IVF are not high, meaning many attempts may not result in a successful pregnancy.
- IVF is emotionally very stressful for both parents and physically demanding on the mother, due to fertility drug treatment and egg collection.
- IVF can lead to multiple births, which carries significant health risks for both the mother and the babies.
Ethical and Social Issues with IVF
- Not all embryos created during IVF are transferred into the mother, meaning unused embryos are destroyed, which some people consider unethical.
- IVF is expensive, and some people argue that this money could be better spent on other medical treatments, such as cancer care.