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Cannula - A hollow tube like that used for insemination.

Capacitation - A process that sperm undergo as they travel through the woman's reproductive tract. Capacitation enables the sperm to penetrate the egg.

Catheter - A hollow flexible tube used to aspirate or inject fluids.

Centrifuge - A machine that separates materials with different densities by spinning them at high speed. Used in sperm washing.

Cervical Stenosis - A blockage of the cervical canal from a congenital defect or from complications of surgical procedures. See also cervix.

Cervical Smear - A sample of the cervical mucus examined microscopically to assess the presence of estrogen (ferning) and white blood cells, indicating possible infection.

Cervical Mucus - A viscous fluid plugging the opening of the cervix. Most of the time this thick mucus plug prevents sperm and bacteria from entering the womb. However, at midcycle, under the influence of estrogen, the mucus becomes thin, watery, and stringy to allow sperm to pass into the womb. See also cervix.

Cervix - The opening between the uterus and the vagina. The cervical mucus plugs the cervical canal and normally prevents foreign materials from entering the reproductive tract. The cervix remains closed during pregnancy and dilates during labor and delivery to allow the baby to be born.

Cervix, Incompetent - See Incompetent Cervix.

Chemical Pregnancy - See Preclinical Pregnancy

Chlamydia - A common bacterial sexually transmitted disease that can lead to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease.

Chocolate Cyst - A cyst in the ovary that is filled with old blood; endometrioma. Occurring when endometriosis invades an ovary, it causes the ovary to swell. Frequently, patients with large endometriomas do not have any symptoms. If the cyst ruptures or the ovary containing the cyst twists, emergency surgery may be necessary. Usually treatment can be carried out through the laparoscope.

Chromosome - The structures in the cell that carry the genetic material (genes: DNA); the genetic messengers of inheritance. The human has forty-six chromosomes, twenty-three coming from the egg and twenty-three coming from the sperm.

Chromosome Analysis - See Karyotyping.

Chorionic Villae Sampling (CVS) - An alternative to amniocentesis that can be done earlier in the pregnancy. It is a biopsy of the placenta that is used to check for genetic abnormalities in the fetus.

Cilia - Tiny hairlike projections lining the inside surface of the fallopian tubes. The waving action of these "hairs" sweeps the egg toward the uterus.

Cleavage - The series of cell divisions, or one of the cell divisions, of the fertilized egg that results in the formation of the blastomeres and changes the single-celled zygote into a multicellular embryo.

Clomid - A brand name of clomiphene citrate.

Clomiphene Citrate (Clomid, Serophene) - A fertility drug that stimulates ovulation through the release of gonadotropins from the pituitary gland.

Colposcopy - Use of a scope to examine the cervix for abnormal cells.

Conception - The fertilization of an egg by sperm that leads to the creation of a new being.

Cone Biopsy - A surgical procedure used to remove precancerous cells from the cervix. The procedure may damage the cervix and thus disrupt normal mucus production or cause an incompetent cervix, which may open prematurely during pregnancy.

Congenital Defect - A birth defect, acquired during pregnancy but not necessarily hereditary.

Corpus Luteum - The yellow-pigmented glandular structure that forms from the ovarian follicle following ovulation. The gland produces progesterone, which is responsible for preparing and supporting the uterine lining for implantation. Progesterone also causes the half-degree or more basal temperature elevation noted after ovulation. If the corpus luteum functions poorly, the uterine lining may not support a pregnancy. If the egg is fertilized, a corpus luteum of pregnancy forms to maintain the endometrial bed and support the implanted embryo. A deficiency in the amount of progesterone produced (or the length of time it is produced) by the corpus luteum can mean the endometrium is unable to sustain a pregnancy. This is called Luteal Phase Defect (LPD).

Cryopreservation - Freezing quickly and then storing, as in sperm, embryos, and, more recently, unfertilized eggs.

Cryptorchidism - When one or both testicles fail to descend into the scrotum. See undecended testicles.

Cumulus Oophorus - The protective layer of cells surrounding the egg.

Cycle Day - The day of a woman's menstrual cycle. The first day (day 1) is when full flow starts before mid-afternoon.

Cyst - A fluid-filled sac.

Cytoplasmic Transfer - An extension of in vitro fertilization which takes the genetic material from a mother's egg and combines it with the cytoplasma of a donor egg. Two methods of cytoplasm transfer were developed, one which transfers a small amount of cytoplasm by tiny needle from the donor to the recipient egg, the other transfers a larger amount of cytoplasm which is then fused to the recipient cytoplasm with electricity. See Cytoplasmic Transfer article.

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