Biology 9700 · AS & A Level · Passage of information from parents to offspring

Passage of information from parents to offspring — practice question

During in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), several oocytes are collected from a woman receiving treatment, and each oocyte is examined under a microscope.
(a)[2]

Explain why oocytes that possess a first polar body are selected for the fertilisation process.

(b)

Embryos made by IVF can be frozen in a solution containing sucrose and various salts, then later thawed and implanted. A trial was performed to compare how successful freezing oocytes was in solution A, the same solution used for freezing embryos, and solution B, a different solution with different sucrose and salt concentrations. The oocytes were put into either solution A or solution B. They were then frozen and kept at a temperature of $-33\,^{\circ}\text{C}$. Afterwards, the oocytes were thawed and then fertilised by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

(b(i))[2]

When the oocytes were added to solution A or solution B, they rapidly decreased in size. Explain why this occurred.

(b(ii))[2]

Using Table 5.1, explain which solution is better to use.

(b(iii))[1]

Suggest one benefit of freezing and then thawing oocytes as part of the IVF procedure.

Worked solution & mark scheme

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