Transposable elements are stretches of DNA that can move around the genome. Many of these DNA sequences originate from long ago, when viruses inserted their genetic material into our ancestors' ...

A new discovery by researchers challenges our current understanding of gastrulation, the most important stage of early embryonic development. When the zygote, or the fertilised egg, starts to develop, ...

In the earliest hours after fertilization, an embryo takes its first steps toward becoming a living organism by shedding maternal control and activating its own genetic program. This critical process, ...

Week 3 of pregnancy is a critical stage when the embryo begins to grow rapidly. During this week, cells divide at an ...

Cell division is an essential process for all life on earth, yet the exact mechanisms by which cells divide during early embryonic development have remained elusive – particularly for egg-laying ...

BEIJING -- After years of dedicated research, a team of Chinese scientists has unveiled critical mechanisms governing early human embryonic development, offering novel theories and potential ...

The new platform's ethically grounded approach promises to reveal much about how human embryos form during the earliest stages of pregnancy. It's one of life's most defining moments -- that crucial ...

Researchers have discovered a key transition in early embryonic development is facilitated by decreasing levels of a viral protein inserted into the DNA of our early animal ancestors. Researchers at ...

Image of mouse embryos at the 2-cell stage visualised by light microscopy. Two blastomeres (cells) can be seen inside the zona pellucida (a “shell-like” protective outer layer) of each embryo. Credit: ...

Glycolysis is an ancient metabolic activity. It consists of a set of reactions that convert glucose into energy. This central process allows cells to grow, divide, and stay alive. It has accompanied ...