LIQUID CULTURE MEDIA FOR EXTRACORPOREAL FERTILIZATION AND CULTURE OF HUMAN EMBRYO AND METHOD OF EXTRACORPOREAL FERTILIZATION AND CULTURE OF HUMAN EMBRYO

摘要

Liquid culture media for the extracorporeal fertilization and culture of a human embryo whereby a fertilized egg having a high safety and good qualities can be obtained and the pregnancy rate can be elevated. The liquid culture media are composed of a first liquid culture medium to be used in fertilizing a human ovum with human sperm, a second liquid culture medium to be used in culturing the human embryo after the fertilization to the 16-cell stage, and a third liquid culture medium to be used in culturing the human embryo from the morula stage to the blastocyst stage. The first to third liquid culture media each contains glucose, a lactic acid salt and a pyruvic acid salt and is serum-free. The first liquid culture medium has the highest glucose concentration while the second liquid culture medium has the lowest one. The third liquid culture medium has the lowest lactic acid salt and pyruvic acid salt concentrations.