INVITRO FERTILIZATION IN THE BOVINE - A REVIEW

This review considers the importance of the in vitro fertilization technique for bovine reproduction. A considerable advantage of this technique would be the production of a great number of bovine embryos in a rather cheap way. The culture of gametes and embryos outside the female body still results in a sharp drop of viability. To get an insight in the underlying problems of this diminished viability, the link is made between the physiology of ovulation, fertilization and embryonic development and the imitation of these processes in vitro. Since lately the influences of follicle, oviduct and uterus environment on oocyte, sperm and embryo are taken into consideration more and more, there has been made a considerable progress in this area. Within a few years, it may become possible to order in an IVF-laboratory bovine embryos, that have been cultured in vitro from oocyte up to the morula- or blastocyststage.