The key difference between IVM and IVF is that IVM refers to in vitro maturation in which a woman’s eggs are collected and matured in an artificial medium in the lab while IVF refers to in vitro fertilization in which an egg is fertilized with a sperm in a laboratory dish.
In vitro fertilization is a procedure that assists married couples who have reproductive problems and aids in the conception of a child. This fertilization is done in a laboratory dish. It is one of the most common and effective techniques, which improves the chances of pregnancy. IVM is a step of IVF. IVM stands for in vitro maturation, which allows immature eggs to mature in an artificial medium in IVM.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is IVM
3. What is IVF
4. Similarities Between IVM and IVF
5. Side by Side Comparison – IVM vs IVF in Tabular Form
6. Summary
What is IVM?
A woman’s eggs are formed even before her birth. After puberty, these eggs are released each month under normal hormonal changes. An egg matures before being released. In in vitro maturation, immature eggs are taken and allowed to mature in an artificial medium in the lab. Therefore, IVM is a process which allows the maturation of eggs outside the body. It is an integral part of the IVF procedure.
Figure 01: IVM
A woman who is supposed to undergo IVF takes medicine for the maturation of more than one egg. However, eggs are collected before maturation and allowed to mature in the lab. Once they are matured, they are fertilized and placed in the mother’s womb. Sometimes these eggs are frozen for later use. In some cases, medicine is not given to women in order to stimulate the growth of more than one egg. In that case, immature eggs are collected from unstimulated ovaries.
What is IVF?
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the artificial fertilization of an egg with a sperm outside the mother’s womb. It is done in a liquid medium under in vitro conditions. It is a complex technique which helps infertility problems. In fact, it is the most effective form of assisted reproductive technology. IVF uses mature eggs. Then they are fused by sperms in a lab. Then the fertilized egg or embryo is placed in the uterus of the mother.
Figure 02: IVF
Generally, the IVF technique takes three weeks time to complete. Age and the cause of infertility are two factors that affect the chances of having a healthy baby by IVF. It can be an expensive process. It is also an invasive process. There are some risks associated with IVF procedure. Multiple births, premature delivery and low weight birth, miscarriage, birth defects and cancer are some of them.
What are the Similarities Between IVM and IVF?
- IVM is a part of an IVF procedure.
- Both procedures are done under in vitro conditions in the lab.
- They are techniques in assisted reproductive technology.
What is the Difference Between IVM and IVF?
IVM is the process of allowing immature eggs to be matured in an artificial medium in the lab, while IVF is the process of fertilizing an egg by a sperm outside the body. So, this is the key difference between IVM and IVF. IVM is a part of the IVF procedure.
Summary – IVM vs IVF
IVM and IVF are two procedures in assisted reproductive technology. In fact, IVM is a part of IVF. Immature eggs are allowed to mature in an artificial medium in the lab in in vitro maturation. Eggs are fertilized with sperms in an artificial medium in the lab in in vitro fertilization. Thus, this is the difference between IVM and IVF.
Reference:
1. Hatırnaz, Şafak, et al. “Oocyte in Vitro Maturation: A Systematic Review.” Turkish Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Galenos Publishing, June 2018, Available here.
2. “What Is In Vitro Maturation (IVM)?”. Reproductivefacts.Org, 2020, Available here.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Figure 28 02 04” By OpenStax College – Anatomy & Physiology, Connexions Web site, Jun 19, 2013. (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Blausen 0060 AssistedReproductiveTechnology” By Blausen.com staff (2014). "Medical gallery of Blausen Medical 2014". WikiJournal of Medicine 1 (2). DOI:10.15347/wjm/2014.010. ISSN 2002-4436. – Own work (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia