Fertility Definitions, Page 3

Oligomenorrhea
infrequent menstruation
Oligospermia
lower than normal amount of sperm present in semen
Oocyte
egg
Ovarian follicle
a small, fluid-filled structure in which the eggs develop
Ovarian reserve
a measurement of how capable a woman's eggs are of producing a pregnancy
Pipette
very small glass tubing used in aspiration techniques
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis
a group of techniques used to detect genetic anomalies in embryos before transferring them into the uterus in the IVF process
Seminiferous tubules
coiled threadlike tubes that make up the testis; lined with a layer of epithelial cells from which the spermatozoa are produced
Teratogen
agent or substance which causes abnormalities in a developing embryo or fetus
Testosterone
the primary, stronger male androgen
Thyroid
gland is located in base of both male and female necks; Important to regulating body's metabolism
Vas deferens
long tube through which sperm travel during ejaculation
Viability
refers to the ability of a conceptus to live and grow, or to a pregnancy's overall status
Zona pellucida
hard outer membrane surrounding the unfertilized oocyte
Zygote
fertilized egg up to the first cellular cleavage; usually about 22 hours in length
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