Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Startling Human Embryo Model From Stem Cells Reveals Unseen Stages of Our Development
The human gastruloid at 24, 48 and 72 hours. (Naomi Moris/University of Cambridge)
NATURE
PATRICK GALEY, AFP12 JUNE 2020
Scientists have developed a human embryo "blueprint" using human stem cells, in a breakthrough that could provide vital insight into the early stages of infant development, new research showed Thursday.
Teams from the University of Cambridge and the Netherlands-based Hubrecht Institute said their model will allow them to observe never-before-seen processes underlying the formation of the human body.
The layout of humans - known as the body plan - happens through a process known as gastrulation, where three distinct layers of cells are formed in the embryo that will later give rise to the body's three main systems: nervous, musculoskeletal and digestive.
Gastrulation is known as the "black box" period of human development as legal restrictions prevent scientists from developing embryos in the lab beyond 14 days.
More:
https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-create-the-first-human-embryo-model-from-stem-cells-to-study-birth-defects
