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BW/LO9. Students should be able to explain human sexual reproduction; discuss medical, ethical, and societal issues

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Biological world:

BW2, BW3. (justification in links to other LOs)

Nature of Science:

NoS6, NoS8, NoS9. (justification in links to other LOs)

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SE4034 Science Collaborative Planning Document

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Links to JC Key Skills and Important Principles

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This video is an illustration of fertilization occurring.

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How Fertilization happens | 3D Animation

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A reliable paper written on Assisted Human Reproduction which students can incorporate into their research on the topic

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This video illustrates what is happening during the menstrual cycle

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Menstrual Cycle Basics | 3D animation (1/2)

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A reliable paper written on stem cell research which students can incorporate into their research on the topic

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This pie chart shows the percentage usage of each contraception around the world. It is evident that 36.4% of people choose no contraception at all. 22.5% of women use chemical contraception (IUD and the pill).

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This graph shows the statistics based on the number of IVF cycles that occurred compared to the number of successful live births following IVF in the UK year by year from 2000-2018

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This video has a very good explanation of the difference between sexual and asexual reproduction particularly in minutes 0:00-2:49. As the video is slightly long I would pause it often and ask questions to assess the students' understanding of the information. This would keep the students engaged with the video and give me as the teacher an indication of how well the students are understanding the content. Throughout and after the video the students will have opportunities to ask me any questions about something they are unsure about. I will also do a simplified recap of the information as part of a group discussion after the video to try to answer anything they are unsure about.

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Sexual and Asexual Reproduction Explained

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This resource is an investigation of the advantages and disadvantages of IVF done by a specialised fertility clinic that provides the IVF procedure.

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Since IVF was pioneered by Sir Robert Edwards and Patrick Steptoe in 1978, IVF has helped million of people become parents. Here we outline some of the advantages and disadvantages associated with IVF.

Advantages of IVF

IVF helps many patients who would be otherwise unable to conceive. The ultimate advantage of IVF is achieving a successful pregnancy and a healthy baby. IVF can make this a reality for people who would be unable to have a baby otherwise:

Blocked tubes: For women with blocked or damaged fallopian tubes, IVF provides the best opportunity of having a child using their own eggs.

Older patients/ patients with a low ovarian reserve: IVF can be used to maximise the chance of older patients conceiving. At CREATE, we have great experience with older women and those with low ovarian reserve. We use Natural IVF to focus on quality of eggs, rather than quantity.

Male infertility: Couples with a male infertility problem will have a much higher chance of conceiving with IVF than conceiving naturally. We have a number of laboratory techniques to facilitate this including intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). We also have an experienced consultant urologist to advise men with fertility problems.

Unexplained infertility: 1 in 6 couples will suffer fertility problems and sometimes these remain undiagnosed after investigation. These patients may benefit from intervention.

PCOS: Polycystic ovary syndrome is common condition in which there is a hormone imbalance leading to irregular menstrual cycles. IVF has proved very successful in patients with PCOS, who will not conceive with ovulation induction.

Endometriosis: Patients with endometriosis, where parts of the womb lining grow outside the womb, may like to try IVF, as it has proved successful in this group.

Premature ovarian failure: Women with premature ovarian failure or menopause can have IVF treatment using donor eggs, which typically has high success rates.

It has been used for a long time and has a safe track record. The first 'IVF baby', Louise Brown, was born using natural IVF in 1978. Since then, the technology has advanced, and techniques refined in order to create safer and successful treatment. We use only the safest forms of IVF with fewer drugs in order to reduce the risk of side effects such as Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS).

IVF can be more successful than IUI and other forms of assisted reproductive technology. IVF success rates have been increasing since its conception, thanks to technological advances. Although IUI and other forms of assisted reproduction technology can be successful for some patients, on the whole they have not undergone the same level of improvement, and do not currently have as high success rates. IUI with donor sperm can however be a useful first option in single women and same-sex couples.

It can help single women and same-sex couples. For single women or same-sex couples who wish to have a child, IVF can provide a great opportunity for helping them to become parents if IUI has not been successful. IVF with donor sperm can help potential patients achieve this goal.

IVF can help to diagnose fertilisation problems. In some cases of unexplained infertility, there could be a problem with fertilisation. Cases such as these may not be diagnosed until fertilisation is attempted in the laboratory. Although this would be a disappointing outcome, it is useful to be able to uncover such problems so that solutions could be reached for future treatment with ICSI.

Unused embryos can be donated to research or another couple. If you are lucky enough to have embryos to spare, these can be used to help other people and even save lives. With the permission of the biological parents, unused embryos can be donated for research purposes, or to another couple to enable them to have a child.

Embryos can be used to screen for inherited diseases. For individuals who are known carriers of genetic disorders such as cystic fibrosis, Huntington's disease and muscular dystrophy, IVF with pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is one of the most reliable ways to ensure that a child conceived will not suffer from the disorder. Pre-implantation genetic screening (PGS) can improve the chances of a successful outcome, as it screens embryos for chromosomal disorders such as Down's syndrome. Both of these techniques are available at our clinics.

Disadvantages of IVF

An IVF cycle may be unsuccessful. The success of IVF is not guaranteed, and patients often have to undergo more than one cycle of treatment before they are successful. This naturally varies woman to woman, and a fertility specialist will be able to give a more accurate and personalised likelihood of success. It is important to be realistic but positive about the chances of success.

There may be associated side effects and risks. As a medical treatment, IVF comes with a small chance of developing side effects, the most severe of these being severe ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome (OHSS). Fortunately, the use of fewer or no drugs in natural and mild IVF cycles means that the already small likelihood of developing unwanted risk of OHSS is dramatically decreased or eliminated. CREATE Fertility takes the possibility of side effects very seriously.

Multiple pregnancy. In IVF treatments, there is often more than one embryo put back into the uterus, and this leads to a higher likelihood of multiple pregnancy; around 20-30% of IVF pregnancies can result in multiple pregnancies. Multiple pregnancies do carry associated health risks to mother and baby: there is an increased chance of premature labour, miscarriage, need for caesarean, stillbirth and infant health problems with multiple pregnancies. It is important for all fertility clinics to have robust single embryo transfer policies, to avoid the risks of multiple pregnancy. At CREATE, we have a low multiple birth rate and focus on the reduction of multiple births.

There is a slightly higher chance of ectopic pregnancy. With IVF treatment, the risk of an ectopic pregnancy doubles, to 1-3%, particularly in women with damaged fallopian tubes.

There is evidence that high oestrogen levels associated with high stimulation IVF can increase the risk of prematurity and low birth weight in babies. There is growing evidence that giving high stimulation during IVF increases the chance that a baby is born prematurely and with lower birth weight. This has been linked to long-term health problems for the child. It is theorised that high oestrogen levels can affect the intra-uterine environment. With drug-free and low drug approaches, it has been observed that babies born are more likely to be born at full term and with a higher birth weight than those born through high stimulation IVF associated with high oestrogen levels. This is one of the reasons why we are committed to Natural and Mild IVF, as we believe that the success of treatment is not just a live birth, but is a healthy full term live birth.

IVF treatment can take an emotional/psychological toll. Going through IVF treatment can be a highly emotive and stressful experience. For patients undergoing treatment, it can be physically and emotionally demanding. For partners it can be difficult to watch a loved-one go through a stressful experience. It is important to prioritise your psychological health, and this is also good for the health of the body. Our short, lower-drug protocols should help to minimise the amount of stress.

IVF treatment can be expensive. IVF treatment is not cheap, and after paying for medication and blood tests, the costs can quickly mount up. It is good to have a clear idea of the costs involved before starting treatment, and to have your finances in order before beginning. With fewer drugs, the cost of a cycle is reduced at CREATE Fertility. There are also options for low-cost treatment, such as our sister clinic abc ivf.

Some patients may be concerned about ethical issues. The idea of selecting some embryos and potentially discarding others may not sit well with everybody. Before starting treatment, consider your own stance and what you would be comfortable with. If you are uncomfortable with the creation of multiple embryos, we can support your choice by using Natural Cycle IVF, or by freezing additional eggs rather than fertilising them to create embryos.

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IVF has helped millions of people become parents. Here we outline some of the advantages and disadvantages associated with IVF!

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Label this diagram of the female reproductive system.

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Label this diagram of the male reproductive system.

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This podcast channel tells the personal stories of people's own experiences with IVF. it gives a very personal insight into the process and the ups and downs that come with it.

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Listen to IVF Tales Podcast on Spotify. Making the world of infertility a little less lonely, one tale at a time. Real tales told by those experiencing IVF. Join the Insta tribe! @ivftalespodcast

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The human reproductive system test questions - 3rd level Science - BBC Bitesize 

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The human reproductive system test questions - 3rd level Science - BBC Bitesize

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Learn how the male and female reproductive systems work with BBC Bitesize Third Level Science.

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This is a debate on the pros and cons of embryonic stem-cell research by "The Survival Doctor"

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The positions couldn't be more polar. Some say it could save lives. Others say it kills them. And the embryonic stem-cell research debate shows no signs of dying down any time soon.

The Debate: Embryonic Stem-Cell Research

Opponents point out that research on adult stem cells has yielded more practical results so far-for example, bone marrow transplants. But proponents believe embryonic stem cells hold more promise. Besides, they say, research on adult stem cells has been going on longer than on embryonic ones.

In the end, whatever such cells may or may not be able to give us, the question comes down to:

Is embryonic stem-cell research ethical?

And that's what we asked our experts to debate.

Pros Argument: Yes, embryonic stem-cell research is ethical.

Human embryonic stem-cell research is not only ethical, it is an essential field to pursue to make key advances in biomedical research to treat diseases effectively where there are currently no cures-including, but not limited to, paralysis from spinal cord injury, diabetes, Parkinson's disease and cancer.

Dan S. Kaufman, M.D., Ph.D., associate director, University of Minnesota Stem Cell Institute; associate professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation

The characterization of human embryonic stem cells in 1998 remains a landmark discovery. In the past 10 years, we have made tremendous progress to effectively produce many different cell types from human embryonic stem cells. Indeed, investigators will soon be able to pursue clinical trials using neurons, pancreatic cells, heart cells or other tissue produced from human embryonic stem cells to treat many diseases, such as those listed above.

Other nonembryonic stem-cell populations, such as blood stem cells found in the bone marrow, are routinely utilized to treat some types of blood cell cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. As a physician who does bone marrow transplantation, I know this application of blood stem cells can be lifesaving. However, these blood stem cells are limited to treating only a narrow range of diseases. We need to do more.

It is important to recognize that human embryonic stem cells all come from embryos created in excess by fertility clinics. All of these embryos will be destroyed if they are not donated by couples specifically to produce embryonic stem cells for biomedical research. The question then is, what is the most respectful way to treat these valuable embryos? Destroy them or provide researchers valuable insights that may one day develop lifesaving therapies and cures.

Exciting advances are being made in many aspects of stem-cell research using both embryonic and nonembryonic stem cells. It is now imperative that scientists pursue all promising areas of this field in order to get new stem-cell-based therapies to patients as soon as possible.

Cons Argument: No, embryonic stem-cell research is not ethical.

David Prentice, Ph.D., cell biologist; senior fellow for life sciences, Family Research Council (Christian lobbying organization and conservative think tank); founding member, Do No Harm: The Coalition of Americans for Research Ethics

Embryonic stem-cell research is not ethical because it relies on the destruction of young human life. The biological fact is that an early human embryo is an organism, a member of the human species; it is not just a collection of cells any more than an adult human is a collection of cells. Though an early human embryo does not look at that stage of life as he or she will later, further development is not a matter of adding parts by construction, but development is rather an unfolding of the genetic plan within its genome.

Newer technologies exist that allow creation of identical embryonic-type stem cells without the use of embryos, cloning or human eggs, bypassing any need for ethically questionable research with human embryos or risking the health of women.

Moreover, embryonic stem-cell research is also unethical from the standpoint that it wastes resources that could be more prudently spent on adult stem-cell research and real treatments for patients.

In the 27 years since the advent of embryonic stem-cell research in 1981, scientists have still not demonstrated the ability to control the cells and their attendant risk of tumor formation, inappropriate tissue growth and immune rejection, and the leading researchers continue to note that it will be decades at best before embryonic stem cells might possibly be used for patients.

In the meantime, hundreds of published references document the ability of adult stem cells from bone marrow, umbilical cord blood and even fat tissue in effectively alleviating symptoms of dozens of diseases.

If our intent is to help the patient first, wise use of resources demands that we focus on adult stem cells and making such treatments available to more patients.

Takeaway

There is no right answer. What is your position?

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Embryonic Stem-Cell Research: Experts Debate Pros and Cons

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Total 0 Shares Share 0 Tweet 0 Pin it 0 The positions couldn't be more polar. Some say it could save lives. Others say it kills them. And the embryonic stem-cell research debate shows no signs of dying down any time soon. The Debate: Embryonic Stem-Cell Research Opponents point out that research on adult stem [...]