Acrosome -- The protein envelope that covers the head of the sperm. This cover must be shed as a prerequisite for fertilization to occur

Adhesion -- The scar tissue that forms around reproductive organs following a previous injury, infection, or surgery

Adrenal Glands -- Glands located on top of each kidney and produce cortisol as well as small amounts of male hormones (adrenal androgens). Abnormal functioning of the adrenal glands can lead to irregular menstrual cycles and hirsutism

Amenorrhea -- The absence of menstruation

American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) -- The major professional medical organization for practitioners in the field of reproductive health

Anovulation -- The total absence of ovulation

Artificial Insemination -- Any of the various techniques whereby sperm are introduced to the female by means other than sexual intercourse

Aspirate -- To gently remove by suction materials, such as eggs, out of the body

Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) -- A general term covering a wide range of procedures used to establish a pregnancy, including gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT), in vitro fertilization (IVF), micromanipulation techniques, and others

Basal Body Temperature Test (BBT) -- The temperature of the woman taken every morning during a cycle before any activity is done that may raise her temperature. It is done to help determine if ovulation has taken place

Blastocyst Transfer -- Transfer of a more developed embryo. It usually requires five days from the time of insemination of the eggs to reach this stage. Performing blastocyst transfer may allow the biologist to discriminate between healthy and unhealthy embryos, by allowing a longer observation period

Catheter -- A thin, flexible plastic tube used in many fertility and assisted reproduction procedures

Cervical Mucus -- Mucus produced by the cervix that permits passage of sperm during ovulation and prevents infection

Cervix -- Lower section of the uterus that protrudes into the vagina, through which the sperm pass to reach the uterus

Chemical Pregnancy -- The appearance of pregnancy due to changes in hormonal levels

Clomiphene Citrate -- The medication, given orally, most commonly used for ovulation induction

Conception -- Fertilization; when the sperm meets and penetrates the egg

Controlled Ovarian Hyperstimulation -- Stimulation of the ovaries with various hormonal medications in order to develop as many follicles as possible as well as to control the timing of ovulation

Corpus Luteum -- The follicle after it ruptures and releases the egg. The corpus luteum produces progesterone

Cryopreservation -- Literally, "freeze preserved." This is a proven method used to store embryos, sperm and even eggs for later use

Culture Medium -- The substance that provides nutritional and environmental support for eggs, sperm and embryos in the laboratory

Donor Oocytes -- Eggs provided by donors to be fertilized by the husband / partner sperm. Some indications for use of donor eggs are advanced maternal age, ovarian failure or absent ovaries, and concern about inherited disorders

Dysmenorrhea -- Cramping and pain around the time of menstruation

Ectopic Pregnancy -- A dangerous condition in which a fertilized egg implants in the fallopian tube instead of in the uterus

Ejaculate -- As a noun, it refers to the mixture of sperm and seminal fluid that comes out of a man's penis during sexual stimulation. As a verb, it refers to the passing of this material

Embryo -- Term used to describe the early stages of fetal growth, from conception to the 8th week of pregnancy

Endometrial Biopsy -- The removal of a sample of the lining of the uterus for examination

Endometriosis -- A disease whereby cells lining the uterus (or endometrium) get outside of the uterus and stick to other organs and cause inflammation

Endometrium -- The lining of the uterus

Epididymis -- The organ in the man where sperm are stored, nourished, and mature after manufacture

Estradiol -- A type of estrogen made in the ovary. Estradiol can be measured in the blood and is used to monitor ovulation induction

Estrogen -- The female hormone produced mainly by the ovaries, responsible for the development of female characteristics

Fallopian tubes -- The pair of narrow tubes that bring the egg from the ovary to the uterus

Fertilization -- The penetration of the egg by the sperm

Fibroids -- A benign tumor arising from the smooth muscle of the uterus, also called myoma

Fimbria -- The finger-like extensions on the fallopian tubes that sweep the egg into the fallopian tube

Follicle -- Structure in the ovary that nurtures the developing egg and later produces the hormone progesterone

Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) -- A hormone produced by the pituitary gland that stimulates follicular growth in the female and sperm production in the male

Gamete -- The male or female reproductive cells (sperm and egg)

Genetic Parents -- Refers to the actual sources of the egg and sperm

Gestational Carrier -- A woman who volunteers to carry the pregnancy for a woman in whom pregnancy is not advisable. She is not the genetic mother of the child

Gestational Sac -- Refers to the sac containing the developing embryo. It is attached at implantation to the uterine wall

Gonads -- Glands that make the gametes (testicles and ovaries)

Hypogonadism -- Inadequate ovarian or testicular function

Hypothalamus -- The gland at the base of the brain that controls the release of hormones from the pituitary gland

Idiopathic Infertility -- The term used to explain when the cause of infertility cannot be explained

Implantation -- The embedding of the fertilized egg in the endometrium

Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) -- The procedure where sperm is placed inside the uterus

Laparoscopy -- A procedure where a mini-telescope is inserted into the abdomen to look at the organs

Luteinizing Hormone (LH) -- A hormone involved in ovulation that is produced by the pituitary gland

Luteal Phase -- Days of the menstrual cycle after ovulation when progesterone is produced by the corpus luteum

Luteal Phase Defect -- An abnormality that interrupts the normal luteal phase following ovulation.

Menstruation -- Shedding of the uterine lining by bleeding, which, in the absence of pregnancy, normally occurs about once a month in the mature female

Morphology -- The physical structure and configuration of sperm cells

Oligo-ovulation -- Infrequent ovulation

Oligospermia -- Abnormally low number of sperm in the ejaculate of the male

Oocyte -- The egg

Ovarian Failure -- The inability of the ovary to respond to any hormone -- this is usually due to menopause

Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) -- This is a painful condition caused when the ovaries become over stimulated by the various hormones that cause follicular development

Ovaries -- The two sexual glands of the female where the eggs are stored. The ovaries also produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone

Ovulation -- The releasing of the egg from the follicle

Ovulatory Dysfunction -- A problem with the ovary where the egg has not matured or released properly

Ovum -- The egg

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) -- Inflammatory disease of the pelvis, usually caused by infection, which can lead to scarring and infertility

Pituitary Gland -- The gland located at the base of the brain that secretes a number of important hormones that regulate fertility, as well as normal growth and development of the body

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCO) -- The formation of cysts in the ovaries that occurs when the follicle stops developing. This is due to a hormonal imbalance in the ovary

Post-Coital Test (PCT) -- A test to determine whether the sperm can move properly through the cervical mucus

Progesterone -- The hormone secreted by the corpus luteum that makes the uterus prepare its lining to receive the egg

Prostate -- The gland in the male that supplies some of the seminal fluid, and prepares the urethra for the passage of sperm

Scrotum -- The pouch at the base of the penis that contains the testicles

Seminal Vesicle -- The pair of pouch-like glands around the prostate that produce the milky fluid that mixes with the sperm prior to ejaculation

Sperm (Spermatozoa) -- Male reproductive cell

Spermatogenesis -- The production of sperm

Testes -- The two male sexual glands that produce sperm as well as the male hormone testosterone

Tubal Pregnancy -- The development and attachment of a fertilized egg in a fallopian tube

Vagina -- Muscular opening in the woman extending from the vulva to the cervix of the uterus

Varicocele -- Varicose veins in the testicle that can cause sperm abnormalities

Vas Deferens -- The pair of tubes in the male that lead from the epididymis to the ejaculatory duct in the prostate