full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Nassim Assefi and Brian A. Levine: How in vitro fertilization (IVF) works

Unscramble the Blue Letters


In 1978, Louise Brown became the world's first baby to be born by in vitro fertilization, or IVF. Her birth revolutionized the field of reproductive medicine. Given that approximately one in eight heterosexual couples has difficulty conceiving, and that homosexual couples and single parents often need clinical help to make a baby, the demand for IVF has been growing. IVF is so common, that more than 5 moiilln babies have been born through this tohgloecny.

IVF works by mimicking the brilliant design of sexual reproduction. In order to utesndanrd IVF, we first need to take a look at the nrtaual process of baby mkanig. Believe it or not, it all starts in the brain. Roughly fifteen days before fertilization can happen, the anterior pituitary gland secretes follicle stimulating hormone, FSH, which ripens a hduanfl of follicles of the ovary that then release estrogen. Each follicle contains one egg, and on average, only one fclllioe becomes fully mature. As it grows and cuonteins to release estrogen, this hormone not only helps coordinate growth and preparation of the uterus, it also communicates to the barin how well the follicle is developing. When the estrogen level is high enough, the anterior pituitary releases a sgure of luteinizing hormone, LH, which triggers oioutlvan and causes the follicle to rprtuue and reelsae the egg.

Open Cloze


In 1978, Louise Brown became the world's first baby to be born by in vitro fertilization, or IVF. Her birth revolutionized the field of reproductive medicine. Given that approximately one in eight heterosexual couples has difficulty conceiving, and that homosexual couples and single parents often need clinical help to make a baby, the demand for IVF has been growing. IVF is so common, that more than 5 _______ babies have been born through this __________.

IVF works by mimicking the brilliant design of sexual reproduction. In order to __________ IVF, we first need to take a look at the _______ process of baby ______. Believe it or not, it all starts in the brain. Roughly fifteen days before fertilization can happen, the anterior pituitary gland secretes follicle stimulating hormone, FSH, which ripens a _______ of follicles of the ovary that then release estrogen. Each follicle contains one egg, and on average, only one ________ becomes fully mature. As it grows and _________ to release estrogen, this hormone not only helps coordinate growth and preparation of the uterus, it also communicates to the _____ how well the follicle is developing. When the estrogen level is high enough, the anterior pituitary releases a _____ of luteinizing hormone, LH, which triggers _________ and causes the follicle to _______ and _______ the egg.

Solution


  1. surge
  2. million
  3. follicle
  4. natural
  5. continues
  6. ovulation
  7. understand
  8. handful
  9. rupture
  10. technology
  11. making
  12. brain
  13. release

Original Text


In 1978, Louise Brown became the world's first baby to be born by in vitro fertilization, or IVF. Her birth revolutionized the field of reproductive medicine. Given that approximately one in eight heterosexual couples has difficulty conceiving, and that homosexual couples and single parents often need clinical help to make a baby, the demand for IVF has been growing. IVF is so common, that more than 5 million babies have been born through this technology.

IVF works by mimicking the brilliant design of sexual reproduction. In order to understand IVF, we first need to take a look at the natural process of baby making. Believe it or not, it all starts in the brain. Roughly fifteen days before fertilization can happen, the anterior pituitary gland secretes follicle stimulating hormone, FSH, which ripens a handful of follicles of the ovary that then release estrogen. Each follicle contains one egg, and on average, only one follicle becomes fully mature. As it grows and continues to release estrogen, this hormone not only helps coordinate growth and preparation of the uterus, it also communicates to the brain how well the follicle is developing. When the estrogen level is high enough, the anterior pituitary releases a surge of luteinizing hormone, LH, which triggers ovulation and causes the follicle to rupture and release the egg.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations


ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
baby making 2
anterior pituitary 2
zona pellucida 2


Important Words


  1. anterior
  2. approximately
  3. average
  4. babies
  5. baby
  6. birth
  7. born
  8. brain
  9. brilliant
  10. brown
  11. clinical
  12. common
  13. communicates
  14. conceiving
  15. continues
  16. coordinate
  17. couples
  18. days
  19. demand
  20. design
  21. developing
  22. difficulty
  23. egg
  24. estrogen
  25. fertilization
  26. field
  27. fifteen
  28. follicle
  29. follicles
  30. fsh
  31. fully
  32. gland
  33. growing
  34. grows
  35. growth
  36. handful
  37. happen
  38. helps
  39. heterosexual
  40. high
  41. homosexual
  42. hormone
  43. ivf
  44. level
  45. lh
  46. louise
  47. luteinizing
  48. making
  49. mature
  50. medicine
  51. million
  52. mimicking
  53. natural
  54. order
  55. ovary
  56. ovulation
  57. parents
  58. pituitary
  59. preparation
  60. process
  61. release
  62. releases
  63. reproduction
  64. reproductive
  65. revolutionized
  66. ripens
  67. roughly
  68. rupture
  69. secretes
  70. sexual
  71. single
  72. starts
  73. stimulating
  74. surge
  75. technology
  76. triggers
  77. understand
  78. uterus
  79. vitro
  80. works