Fertilization of the Human Egg In Vitro

I. Follicle and Ovum Maturation.- Control of the Development of Meiotic Competence of Oocyte Maturation in Mammals.- The Preovulatory Human Oocyte and its Microenvironment.- Cytoplasmic Changes in Mammalian Oocytes During the Preovulatory Period.- Selection and Maturation of the Dominant Follicle and Its Ovum in the Menstrual Cycle.- II. Preparation of Patient and Timing of Oocyte Collection.- Influence of Ovarian Stimulation on Follicular Fluid Steroid Levels and Fertilizability of the Oocyte.- Ultrasound Diagnosis of Follicle Growth and Ovulation.- Hormonal and Ultrasonic Monitoring of Follicular Development and Ultrasound-guided Follicular Puncture.- Collection of Human Eggs for In Vitro Fertilization.- Monitoring of Follicular Development in Gonadotropin Stimulated Cycles.- The Use of Clomid and hMG in Human In Vitro Fertilization: Consequences for Egg Quality and Luteal Phase Adequacy.- III. Structures and Fertilizing Ability of Spermatozoa.- Form and Function of Eutherian Spermatozoa in Relation of the Nature of Egg Vestments.- Methods for Assessing the Functional Capacity of Human Spermatozoa; Their Role in the Selection of Patients for In Vitro Fertilization.- IV. In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Culture.- In Vitro Fertilization of Human Eggs: Analysis of Follicular Growth, Ovulation and Fertilization.- The Fine Structure of Normal and Abnormal Human Embryos Developed in Culture.- Evaluation of Normal and Abnormal Human Embryo Development During Procedures In Vitro.- Influence of Follicular Volume and Oocyte Maturity on the Fertilization Rate of Human Oocytes.- V. Embryo Transfer and Intrauterine Development.- Factors Controlling Normal Embryo Development and Implantation of Human Oocytes Fertilized In Vitro.- In Vitro Fertilization of Human Oocytes: Factors Associated with Embryonic Development In Vitro, Replacement of Embryos and Pregnancy.- Current Status of an In Vitro Fertilization Programme and Early Pregnancy Diagnosis.- Transfer of Human Embryos at Early Cleavage Stages.- Factors Influencing Ovo-Implantation and Maintenance of Pregnancy Following Embryo Transfer.- Hormones and Proteins Involved in Uterine Preparation for Implantation.- Early Hormone Parameters and Embryonic Development in Pregnancies Established by In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer.- VI. Animal Models for Egg Transfer and Embryo-Maternal Interactions.- Field Trials with Cryopreserved Bovine Embryos.- The Developmental Potential and Regulatory Capacity of Blastomeres from Two-, Four-, and Eight-Cell Sheep Embryos.- Nonhuman Primate Models for Egg Transfer.- Growth and Differentiation of Rabbit Blastocysts in Defined Culture Media.- Synthetic Capabilities of the Preimplantation Conceptus and Maternal Responses to Pregnancy.- VII. Aspects of Medical Jurisprudence.- The Legal Situation in the Federal Republic of Germany Regarding In Vitro Fertilization of the Human Egg.