Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990

[F1 3ZA Permitted eggs, permitted sperm and permitted embryos U.K.

(1) This section has effect for the interpretation of section 3(2).

(2) A permitted egg is one—

(a) which has been produced by or extracted from the ovaries of a woman, and

(b) whose nuclear or mitochondrial DNA has not been altered.

(3) Permitted sperm are sperm—

(a) which have been produced by or extracted from the testes of a man, and

(b) whose nuclear or mitochondrial DNA has not been altered.

(4) An embryo is a permitted embryo if—

(a) it has been created by the fertilisation of a permitted egg by permitted sperm,

(b) no nuclear or mitochondrial DNA of any cell of the embryo has been altered, and

(c) no cell has been added to it other than by division of the embryo's own cells.

(5) Regulations may provide that—

(a) an egg can be a permitted egg, or

(b) an embryo can be a permitted embryo,

even though the egg or embryo has had applied to it in prescribed circumstances a prescribed process designed to prevent the transmission of serious mitochondrial disease.

(6) In this section—

(a) “woman” and “man” include respectively a girl and a boy (from birth), and

(b) “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations.]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 3ZA inserted (1.10.2009) by Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 (c. 22), ss. 3(5), 68(2); S.I. 2009/2232, art. 2(a)