Embryonic Development News and Research

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Embryonic development or embryogenesis is the process by which the embryo is formed and develops. It starts with the fertilization of the ovum, egg, which, after fertilization, is then called a zygote. The zygote undergoes rapid mitotic divisions, the formation of two exact genetic replicates of the original cell, with no significant growth (a process known as cleavage) and cellular differentiation, leading to development of an embryo.

Mitochondrial fusion critical for adult neurogenesis and brain circuit refinement

Nerve cells (neurons) are amongst the most complex cell types in our body. They achieve this complexity during development by extending ramified branches called dendrites and axons and establishing thousands of synapses to form intricate networks.

5 Apr 2024

Modeled human embryo produces a membrane that surrounds the developing embryo

A MedUni Vienna study team led by geneticist Markus Hengstschläger has used a stem cell model to model the earliest stages of embryonic development and to characterize the membrane that surrounds the embryo, conferring shape and stability.

5 Apr 2024

Mechanical pressure revealed as key factor in embryonic organ formation

A collaboration between research groups at the University of California, TU Dresden in Germany and Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children's in Los Angeles has identified a mechanism by which embryonic cells organize themselves to send signals to surrounding cells, telling them where to go and what to do.

3 Apr 2024

Unlocking the mysteries of early human development through blastoid models

It's one of life's most defining moments-;that crucial step in embryonic development, when an indistinct ball of cells rearranges itself into the orderly three-layered structure that sets the stage for all to come.

22 Mar 2024

Researchers shed light on proteins controlling the development of ovaries in mice

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have shed light on the proteins controlling the development of ovaries in mice before and after birth.

22 Mar 2024

Revolutionary stem cell culture method produces full model of human central nervous system

The first stem cell culture method that produces a full model of the early stages of the human central nervous system has been developed by a team of engineers and biologists at the University of Michigan, the Weizmann Institute of Science, and the University of Pennsylvania.

26 Feb 2024

Study shines light on the role of transcription factors during early embryonic development

New international research shines a light on the role of transcription factors during early embryonic development.

6 Feb 2024

New study unlocks secrets to preventing birth defects

Cleft lip and palate are the most common craniofacial birth defects in humans, affecting more than 175,000 newborns around the world each year.

22 Jan 2024

DNA origami used to unveil novel Notch receptor activation pathway

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have used DNA origami, the art of folding DNA into desired structures, to show how an important cell receptor can be activated in a previously unknown way.

18 Jan 2024

How immune cells shape our earliest breaths

Study profiles the development of immune cells in human lungs during embryonic and fetal stages, revealing their influence on epithelial cell fate and lung development.

1 Jan 2024

Common inflammation pathway turns anthrax toxin into killer

Bacillus anthracis lethal toxin (LT) is a determinant of lethal anthrax. Its function in myeloid cells is required for bacterial dissemination, and LT itself can directly trigger dysfunction of the cardiovascular system.

26 Dec 2023

Study identifies two stem cell types driving jellyfish tentacle growth

At about the size of a pinkie nail, the jellyfish species Cladonema can regenerate an amputated tentacle in two to three days -; but how? Regenerating functional tissue across species, including salamanders and insects, relies on the ability to form a blastema, a clump of undifferentiated cells that can repair damage and grow into the missing appendage.

25 Dec 2023

Single-cell RNA sequencing generates comprehensive atlas of zebrafish development

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have published an atlas of zebrafish development, detailing the gene expression programs that are activated within nearly every cell type during the first five days of development, a period in which embryos mature from a single cell into distinct cell types.

18 Dec 2023

Study reveals how maternal diabetes affects birth defects at the single-cell level

The mechanisms by which maternal diabetes mellitus contributes to congenital abnormalities in the fetus.

4 Dec 2023

Unveiling the role of Daam1 gene in intestinal stem cell fate decisions

Stem cells can differentiate to replace dead and damaged cells. But how do stem cells decide which type of cell to become in a given situation?

24 Nov 2023

Maternal exercise shapes early yolk sac growth, varies with baby's sex

This study in Scientific Reports reveals that maternal physical activity impacts yolk sac development in early pregnancy, with effects varying based on gestational age and the sex of the embryo, underscoring the nuanced relationship between maternal behavior and embryonic growth.

23 Nov 2023