Light of Microscopes and Laboratory Environment

Oocytes development, ovulation, fertilization, and embryo development occur without exposure to light under physiological conditions in vivo. Although in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer technology is becoming more sophisticated and the IVF operation process replicates this environment to some extent, it does not yet fully simulate the physiological environment in vivo. When performing in vitro manipulations, including oocyte pick-up, denudation, ICSI, morphological evaluation of embryos, and embryo transfer, gametes and embryos are inevitably exposed to light. Although a low level of light exposure does not entirely impede fertilization and embryo development, such unnatural light exposure may potentially affect gametes or embryos. Coupled with the fact that the threshold for the intensity of light that produces an effect is not fully known, it is still necessary to understand the impacts of light in daily practice and minimize them during ART treatment.