< b>Intrafallopian: A term meaning "within the fallopian tube." There are
two fallopian tubes in female mammals, including human females. These tubes are
also called oviducts. They serve as passageways connecting the egg-producing ovaries
to the uterus (womb) in the pelvis.
After an egg is produced by an ovary, it enters a fallopian tube. If male sperm
unites with the egg during sexual intercourse, the egg becomes fertilized. After
this "intrafallopian" activity, the egg is deposited into the uterus for development.
However, sometimes a defect or blockage causes the egg to remain in the fallopian
tube and develop there in what is known as an ectopic pregnancy. ("Ectopic" means
"out of the normal place.")
Physicians who assist infertile couples can cause fertilization to occur inside
or outside a fallopian tube. To differentiate between these two fertilization techniques,
they use the terms "intrafallopian" (within the fallopian tube) and "extrafallopian"
(outside the fallopian tube). The intrafallopian technique involves injecting an
egg and sperm into the fallopian tube. Fertilization then occurs. The extrafallopian
technique involves uniting sperm and egg outside the fallopian tube, in a laboratory
dish. There fertilization occurs.
The word "intrafallopian" is formed from the Latin word "intra" (within, inside)
and the English word "fallopian" (an adjective derived from the name of a 16th century
Italian anatomist, Gabriello Fallopio, who discovered the purpose of the oviducts.)
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