Periconception in Physiology and Medicine
About this ebook
From the early days of discovery about the basics of the fertilization process, scientists have known that early events happening during conception play a major part in the creation of new offspring. However, until nearly a decade ago we thought these events were just concerned with the conception and nothing to do with lifelong health and welfare, or wellbeing ofthe offspring. Early indications from IVF in sheep and cattle suggested that the embryo culture conditions employed in the laboratory could result in unusually large and unhealthy offspring. These observations sounded alarm bells and stimulated research into the impacts of in vivo and in vitro conditions on the health of embryos and offspring. This book provides a summary of the state-of-the-art research being done to more fully understand the importance of the periconception environment.
About the author
William V. Holt, PhD, is a Visiting Professor in the Academic Unit of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine at the University of Sheffield, and former head of Reproductive Biology unit at the Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London. His research focuses on understanding the mechanisms governing sperm survival during the freeze-thaw process in small population breeding programs, as well as broader research on the cellular mechanisms involved in the processes leading to fertilization. Dr. Holt is the co-Chair of the Health and Safety subcommittee of the Companion and Domestic Animals and Endangered Species group of the International Embryo Transfer Society.
