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, ...

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 ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. As an evolutionary biologist whose career has focused on how embryos develop in a wide variety of species over the course of ...

When the egg and sperm fuse, a comprehensive reorganization of DNA begins within the nucleus. Epigenetics plays a crucial role in this process, regulating gene activity through chemical modifications ...

New research suggests that exposure to a common “forever chemical” may interfere with the earliest stages of pregnancy. A new animal study suggests that perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a chemical used ...

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 ...