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Pictures of IVF embryos from our in vitro fertilization laboratory
Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
Gurnee & Crystal Lake, Illinois
Page author Richard Sherbahn MD
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Picture of IVF embryo - this is a fertilized human egg (also called oocyte)
This is the morning after IVF egg retrieval when we check eggs for fertilization
Male and female genetic material (DNA) are in the 2 pronuclei - center of the photo
Photo of a high quality day 3 human embryo at the 8-cell stage
6 cells are visible in this plane of focus
This picture shows a high quality blastocyst embryo on day 5
5 day blastocyst transfer can result in high pregnancy rates with low multiple pregnancy rates
See our blastocyst transfer success rates
Pictures of eggs and sperm
Human eggs, also called oocytes
Eggs as seen at the egg retrieval procedure
The eggs (darker area below the "E") are inside a mass of cumulus cells ("C")
Images showing examples of normal and abnormal eggs, including low quality eggs, high quality mature eggs, abnormal eggs, very immature eggs, and degenerative oocytes.
| More Egg Images |
| Pictures of low quality & high quality eggs |
| Pictures of immature IVF eggs |
| Abnormal egg photos |
| Degenerative IVF egg pictures |
| Eggs at the egg retrieval procedure |
Human sperm pictures
In the end, us men are just DNA donors. Some women would (? falsely) claim that's all we're good for! If cloning is ever perfected and applied to humans, women won't even need us for our DNA. Let's hold off on the cloning research, please...
Pictures of day one embryos
Fertilized human eggs, one-cell embryos, also called 2 pronuclear embryos or zygotes
This is what we want to see the morning after the egg retrieval in IVF cycles
Picture of an abnormally fertilized egg (triploid)
Embryos such as this must be discarded
Pictures of day 2 embryos
4-cell embryos pictures
This is what we want to see at about 48 hours after the egg retrieval procedure
2-cell embryos pictures: Multinucleation
Two embryos are shown, one is multinucleated and very abnormal, the other appears normal
2-cell embryo photos: Fragmentation
Two embryos are shown, one has some fragmentation, the other does not
Images of day three embryos
8-cell embryo picture at high magnification
This is what we want to see at about 72 hours after egg retrieval
Embryos that look like this generally have a high rate of implantation after being transferred to the uterus
Pictures of normal and abnormal day 3 embryos
One embryo has a very unusual shape. Is it to become a football star?
An example of a very fragmented and low quality embryo is also shown.
Pictures of day four morula stage embryos
Embryo images at the morula stage
This is the last stage of embryo development before it (hopefully) becomes a blastocyst
Pictures of blastocysts on day 5 to 6 of IVF embryo development
Blastocyst photos, day 5-6 embryo pictures, and blastocyst grading
The blastocyst stage is the last stage of embryo development before the embryo hatches and implants into the lining of the uterus. Blastocyst transfer can reduce multiple pregnancy risks, with high pregnancy success rates.
Other pictures of IVF embryos
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection for severe sperm deficiency (ICSI)
A series of images that demonstrates ICSI
Pictures of IVF embryos undergoing assisted hatching
Assisted hatching can improve a couple's chances for pregnancy
A series of 5 pictures demonstrates the embryo hatching procedure
Pictures of embryos of different grades - embryo quality and grading issues
IVF embryos of different grades are shown to demonstrate differences in morphologic quality (basically, how pretty they are)
Embryo grading scores relate to their potential to implant and make a viable pregnancy
Abnormalities of the embryo's shell (zona pellucida)
Three embryo images are shown:
One has a thick shell, another has an irregular shell, and the 3rd has a normal appearance
Abnormalities of the embryo's inner cells (blastomeres)
Two embryo photos are shown
One shows granular cells, the other has normal cells
Photo of a 3-cell embryo cleaving
A 4 cell "wannabee"
Images of multinucleated embryos
Two embryos are shown
A zygote with many pronuclei and a multinucleated 2 cell
These are significant chromosomal abnormalities
| Babies who had our help |
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