Abstract
The dynamic observation of human gametes and the early stage of embryos is of paramount interest for clarifying the physiological events during the fertilization process. We present our morphological analysis of human embryonic development after both intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) using time-lapse cinematography. The results of this study indicate that non-invasive imaging, time-lapse cinematography, is useful not only for elucidating the morphological events of fertilization in humans, but also for evaluating the physiological importance of these events during the early stages of human embryonic development. In addition, analysis of cellular activity and quality during fertilization and embryogenesis using this system will contribute to the future improvement of the clinical results of assisted reproductive technology (ART).
