In the context of recent advances in human reproductive technology, “Pronuclear Transfer” is used for
In the context of recent advances in human reproductive technology, “Pronuclear Transfer” is used for
(a)
fertilization of egg in vitro by the donor sperm
(b)
genetic modification of sperm producing cells
(c)
development of stem cells into functional embryos
(d)
prevention of mitochondrial diseases in offspring
(d)
In pronuclear transfer, the mother’s egg is first fertilized with the father’s sperm, producing
a zygote. The pro-nuclei of the egg and sperm are then removed from the zygote and
inserted into a donor egg that has been fertilized and has had its own nucleus removed (a
pronucleus is the nucleus of the egg or sperm at the stage of fertilization prior to nucleus
fusion). The zygote derived from the donor egg is then implanted into the mother’s uterus. It
is thus used in the process of three-parent baby.
Three-parent baby, human offspring produced from the genetic material of one man and
two women through the use of assisted reproductive technologies, specifically mitochondrial
manipulation (or replacement) technologies and three-person in vitro fertilization (IVF). In
general, the reproductive technologies used to produce three-parent babies focus on
replacing or otherwise reducing the effects of mutations that occur in the DNA of cellular
organelles known as mitochondria, which reside in the cell cytoplasm. The various
approaches could help women to overcome infertility and could prevent the transmission to
their offspring of potentially debilitating mitochondrial diseases. Therefore, the correct answer is (d).
Microtheme: "Genetics,Biotechnology" —
26 questions asked in Prelims in the past.