Morphology of Human Eggs and Embryos

Abstract

Photographic or video micrographic records of human eggs and embryos are useful for patient record keeping, quality control, research purposes and teaching. The morphology of human oocytes, eggs and embryos has been described extensively over the past several years and the readers’ attention is drawn to the publication by Lucinda Veeck (Atlas of the Human Oocyte and Early Conceptus, Lucinda L. Veeck, Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, 1986). Photo or video micrography must be a simple and rapid process within the context of an IVF-ET program since exposure of eggs or embryos to changes in temperature, light and pH may be damaging. Ideally, photo or video recordings should be made with a microscope in an enclosed environmental chamber. Since many programs use an inverted microscope for the routine examination of eggs and embryos, a standard through-the-lens system made available by the manufacturer is usually the most practical and cost-effective approach. For convenience a system should be chosen that is parfocal with the microscope and permits through-the-lens viewing and recording. Systems are available with fully automated light metering capabilities. Records can also be made with a dissecting microscope (see Figures 4 and 11). Advantages include the fact that the eggs/embryos do not have to be transferred back and forth between microscopes. However, the limited resolving capability of these microscopes greatly detracts from their usefulness, especially true with lower quality microscopes.