UPSC Prelims 2020 Question:

In the context of recent advances in human reproductive technology, "Pronuclear Transfer" is used for

Explanation:

• Mutations in mitochondrial DNA (MtDNA) are a common cause of genetic diseases. Patients with MtDNA disease have extremely limited treatment options, which are mostly supportive in nature. MtDNA is transmitted maternally, and nuclear transfer techniques have been proposed as a method of preventing the transmission of human mitochondrial disease.
  
  
• In pronuclear transfer, a zygote is formed by first fertilising the mother's egg with the father's sperm. The donor egg is then fertilised and has its own nucleus removed. The pro-nuclei of the egg and sperm are then extracted from the zygote and put into the donor egg (a pronucleus is the nucleus of the egg or sperm at the stage of fertilisation prior to nucleus fusion). 
  
  
• The zygote derived from the donor egg is then implanted into the mother’s uterus. It is thus used in the process of three-parent baby. In Three-parent baby, human offspring is produced from the genetic material of one man and two women through the use of assisted reproductive technologies, specifically mitochondrial manipulation (or replacement) technologies and three-person in vitro fertilisation (IVF).
  
  

Therefore, option (4) is the correct answer.

Subject: Science & Technology | Biotechnology