Skip to content

A couple, A and B… (Class 12 Biology SQP 2026-27, Q22)

questionbuddy.in/q/cbse-12-biology-2026-27-sqp-q22-couple-visit-fertility-clinic-examination

BiologyCBSE Class 12 · Sample paper, session 2026-27 · 3 marks · Short answer

CBSE Class 12 Biology sample paper 2026-27: question 22

From the official CBSE sample question paper for 2026-27, section C, question 22, for 3 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q22 · 3 marks · Short answerCompetency-basedReproductive Health

A couple, A and B, visit a fertility clinic. Examination reveals that female A has a blockage in her fallopian tubes, but her ovaries can produce viable ova. Male B produces sperm with a very low sperm count, making natural fertilization unlikely.
Which two different Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs) would a doctor most likely recommend for this couple to increase their chances of conceiving? Justify your selection by briefly stating the principle behind each chosen technique concerning the couple's specific issues.

Source: official sample paper from cbseacademic.nic.in (PDF). See it in the full Sample paper 2026-27.

Hints

Open one hint at a time and try again before the next.

Hint 1

There are two separate problems, one in each partner; pick one ART for each.

Hint 2

Which technique needs only one sperm, and which places the embryo beyond the fallopian tube?

Step-by-step solution

Each step shows the marks it earns, as an examiner would award them. Checked by an independent re-solve from the question paper.

  1. ART 1: Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI). This addresses male B's very low sperm count. In ICSI, a single sperm is injected directly into the cytoplasm of the ovum in the laboratory to form the embryo in vitro. A large number of sperm is therefore not needed.

    1½ marks

  2. ART 2: IVF followed by embryo transfer into the uterus (IUT). This addresses female A's blocked fallopian tubes. Her ova are collected and fertilised outside the body (by IVF/ICSI). Because the tubes are blocked, the embryo (with more than 8 blastomeres) is transferred directly into the uterus, bypassing the tubes so that it can implant.

    1½ marks

Answer: ICSI (for the low sperm count) and IVF with intrauterine transfer, IUT (for the blocked fallopian tubes).

Where the marks are

  • Names ICSI, justified by direct injection of sperm into the ovum for the low sperm count (1.5 marks)
  • Names IVF–IUT, justified by transferring the embryo directly to the uterus, bypassing the blocked tubes (1.5 marks)

Revise the chapter

Practise this chapterBoard-style questions from Reproductive Health, one at a time, marked against the answer key and marking points.Back to the full paperSample paper 2026-27: every question, by section.

The question is transcribed from the official paper; figures are described in words. The solution, hints and chapter tag are ours. Spotted an error? Write tosupport@questionbuddy.in.