In vitro fertilization

A procedure where an egg cell (the oocyte) and sperm cells are brought together in a dish (i.e. in vitro), so that a sperm cell can fertilize the egg. The resulting fertilized egg, called a zygote, will start dividing and after a several divisions, forms the embryo that can be implanted into the womb of a woman and give rise to pregnancy.

A technique that unites the egg and sperm in a laboratory, instead of inside the female body.

(in VEE-troh FER-tih-lih-ZAY-shun) A procedure in which eggs are removed from a woman's ovary and combined with sperm outside the body to form embryos. The embryos are grown in the laboratory for several days and then either placed in a woman's uterus or cryopreserved (frozen) for future use.

(Abbreviation: IVF). A widely used technique in human and animal science, whereby the egg is fertilized with sperm outside the body before re-implanting into the uterus.