15-12-2015 07:00

In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a fertilisation which takes place outside the body. Doctors fertilise the egg with sperm, and then they put it into a female body.

IVF has assisted in human births since the 1970’s, but scientists could not do this with dogs for a long time. The dog’s reproductive system is very different from other animals.

After 40 years of research, the first puppies to be born though IVF were born in the USA. This is an important moment in science because this can help us explain some genetic disorders.

Difficult words: fertilisation (the action of fertilising an egg – making it start to become a baby by putting sperm into it), research (studying and testing), disorder (a disease, illness).

You can read the original story and watch the video in the Level 3 section.