Before an embryo can use its own genes, it relies on materials that have been packed into the egg. This is a precarious phase. In mammals, the fertilized egg divides several times before activating ...

Egg cells need to store large amounts of proteins and other molecules to support the earliest stages of development. But how do they organize this supply? Egg cells have a dedicated storage system, ...

Embryo development starts when a single egg cell is fertilized and starts dividing continuously. Initially a chaotic cluster, it gradually evolves into a highly organized structure. Scientists have ...