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, ...

A stretch of viral DNA in the mouse genome gives cells in early-stage embryos the potential to become almost any cell type in ...

Over half of our genomes consists of thousands of remnants of ancient viral DNA, known as transposable elements, which are widespread across the tree of life. Once dismissed as the "dark side" of the ...

Cell division is an essential process for all life on earth, yet the exact mechanisms by which cells divide during early ...

Molecular mechanism uncovered in mice by UC Santa Cruz researchers reveals how a father’s diet, stress, and other ...

A genomic atlas of Nematostella vectensis reveals how primitive animals created multiple cell types millions of years ago, ...

Scientists have uncovered a new way embryonic cells divide when conventional mechanisms fail. Cell division underpins all ...

A new study shows that the embryo and the uterine lining conduct an active "conversation" from the very earliest stages of implantation. They engage in a back and forth of tiny packages called ...