Approximately five days post fertilization (dpf), the blastocyst develops. The inner cell mass gives rise to the fetus, while the surrounding trophectoderm transforms into the placenta. After ...

The placenta never fails to amaze. The conventions that we take for granted as required for the normal formation and function of other organs are often flouted by placental trophoblasts, the ...

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Researchers studying embryonic stem cells have explored the first fork in the developmental road, getting a new look at what happens when fertilized eggs differentiate to build ...

Pluripotent stem cells — which have the ability to differentiate into any cell type in the body — have enormous potential for regenerative medicine and for uncovering the developmental biology ...

Now, scientists at Scripps Research have identified a key player in the placenta's transformation-a molecule called ...

The development of the mammalian placenta depends upon an unusual twist that separates DNA’s classic double helix into a single-stranded form, Yale researchers report July 15 in the journal Nature.