Technical Abstract: Since the birth of the first baby conceived by in vitro fertilization (Louise Brown) in 1978, significant progress has been achieved in the application of assisted reproductive technology (ART) in clinical settings. A significant accumulation of knowledge obtained through various research endeavors involving small (rodents) and/or large (farm) animals has made these achievements possible. Nevertheless, the major challenge of ART remains the collection of high quality mammalian gametes produced by female and male gonads through complex events called oogenesis (in ovaries) and spermatogenesis (in testes), respectively. The successful interaction of both mature gametes forms a diploid cell (zygote) which develops, through successive mitosis, into a multi-cellular embryo (e.g., blastocyst) that is transferrable to a female recipient. The current application of ART has the potential to negatively affect the quality of both, gametes and embryos. This is partially due to the sub-optimal conditions of culture systems whose immediate and long term developmental consequences are still not well-characterized. The aim of this editorial is to highlight lessons that have been learned through ART in animals that have contributed to improve assisted reproductive outcomes in humans.