OCR General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) Biology Practice Exam

What does IVF stand for and what does it involve?

1. In Vitro Fertilisation; fertilising eggs in a lab

2. Internal Vital Function; monitoring pregnancy health

3. In Vivo Fertilisation; natural mating process

4. In Vitro Fostering; nurturing embryos in a lab

The correct answer is: In Vitro Fertilisation; fertilising eggs in a lab

The correct answer is that IVF stands for In Vitro Fertilisation, which involves fertilising eggs in a laboratory setting rather than inside the body. This process entails retrieving eggs from a woman’s ovaries and combining them with sperm in a controlled environment to facilitate fertilisation. Once embryos are formed, they can be monitored for development and, in many cases, one or more can be implanted back into the woman's uterus to establish a pregnancy. The other options do not accurately describe the IVF process. Internal Vital Function suggests monitoring pregnancy health, which is unrelated to the fertilisation process itself. In Vivo Fertilisation implies natural mating, which occurs within the body and is different from the laboratory method of IVF. In Vitro Fostering indicates nurturing embryos but does not specify fertilisation, which is a key aspect of IVF. Thus, the first choice clearly encapsulates what IVF truly involves.