NEET 2021 Zoology Question 195 Solution

Multiple Ovulation Embryo Transfer Technology (MOET) is an advanced herd improvement programme used to rapidly multiply high-milk-yielding females and high-quality-lean-meat bulls: - Step 1 (Hormonal Induction of Superovulation): A superior genetic mother cow is injected with gonadotropins possessing FSH-like activity (e.g. equine chorionic gonadotropin or pituitary FSH). This drives the synchronous maturation of multiple Graafian follicles, yielding 6 to 8 ova (superovulation) instead of the solitary ovum normally shed in an estrous cycle. - Step 2 (Fertilization): The superovulated cow is either mated with an elite pedigree bull or artificially inseminated using high-grade semen. - Step 3 (Non-Surgical Embryo Recovery): At the 8 to 32 cell stage (morula/early blastocyst), the developing embryos are non-surgically flushed and harvested using a catheter. - Step 4 (Transfer to Surrogates): The harvested embryos are transferred into lower-genetic-merit surrogate recipient cows, while the genetic mother is freed for another superovulation cycle.

Luteinizing Hormone (LH) induces ovulation of a mature follicle and luteinization of the ruptured follicle into a corpus luteum. LH cannot stimulate multiple immature primordial/primary follicles to grow and mature; that is the unique physiological role of FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone). Therefore, claiming that hormones with LH-like activity are administered for superovulation is physiologically and canonically false.