Without the protein galectin-3 (left), placental cells remain separate, each with their own nucleus (blue) surrounded by a distinct cell boundary (pink). With galectin-3 (right), cells fuse together ...

During the first weeks of pregnancy, the developing placenta in a mother's womb undergoes a dramatic change. Individual cells merge, forming a continuous barrier that will spend the next nine months ...

The placenta supports the fetus while it is in utero (and, according to some, a placenta can even support a rosebush if it's buried under one after delivery). We know a placenta is essential for a ...

An experimental study from researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania links a specific procedure - embryo culture - that is part of the assisted reproduction ...

Without the protein galectin-3 (left), placental cells remain separate, each with their own nucleus (blue) surrounded by a distinct cell boundary (pink). With galectin-3 (right), cells fuse together ...