First test tube baby is born in Britain

July 25, 1978. Louise Brown, the first person to be conceived via in vitro fertilization (IVF), is born in Oldham, Greater Manchester. IVF is a series of complex techniques, in which mature eggs are collected from the ovaries of a woman (known as oocytes). These oocytes are then placed in a culture medium, and fertilized by sperm within a lab (Cohen, 1979). After many days, as the fertilized oocyte develops, it is transplanted into the woman's uterus, where implantation will hopefully occur (Cohen, 1979).

The technique was developed by Dr. Robert Edwards and Dr. Patrick Steptoe, who in 1969, succeeded in fertilizing the human egg outside the body. IVF is commonly used now to treat infertility or genetic problems in conception.

In 2010, Edwards won the Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine for the development of IVF. IVF can be used for preimplantation genetic diagnosis, which enables potential parents to screen for or against particular traits.

-Erna Kurbegovic, Colette Leung, and Amy Dyrbye

First test tube baby is born in Britain

July 25, 1978. Louise Brown, the first person to be conceived via in vitro fertilization (IVF), is born in Oldham, Greater Manchester. IVF is a series of complex techniques, in which mature eggs are collected from the ovaries of a woman (known as oocytes). These oocytes are then placed in a culture medium, and fertilized by sperm within a lab (Cohen, 1979). After many days, as the fertilized oocyte develops, it is transplanted into the woman's uterus, where implantation will hopefully occur (Cohen, 1979).

The technique was developed by Dr. Robert Edwards and Dr. Patrick Steptoe, who in 1969, succeeded in fertilizing the human egg outside the body. IVF is commonly used now to treat infertility or genetic problems in conception.

In 2010, Edwards won the Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine for the development of IVF. IVF can be used for preimplantation genetic diagnosis, which enables potential parents to screen for or against particular traits.

-Erna Kurbegovic, Colette Leung, and Amy Dyrbye