Microscope Captures Beginning Of Embryo Development
(London) -- For the first time ever, scientists have been able to watch a vertebrate develop from a single-celled organism into an embryo with a beating heart. Researchers from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany built the first microscope powerful enough to see a zebrafish develop from its tiniest form, and delicate enough not to hurt the embryo. The team then created a three-D digital reconstruction of the process. They believe the discovery will add new insight into how organs form in all vertebrates, including humans. The German scientists also hope it will lead to a better understanding of how genetics affect some diseases. The study appears in the journal "Science." |