{"id":259228,"date":"2023-09-08T20:20:35","date_gmt":"2023-09-08T14:50:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=259228"},"modified":"2023-10-08T12:20:43","modified_gmt":"2023-10-08T06:50:43","slug":"without-sperm-or-egg-how-scientists-grew-whole-model-of-human-embryo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/without-sperm-or-egg-how-scientists-grew-whole-model-of-human-embryo\/","title":{"rendered":"Without sperm or egg, how scientists grew whole model of human embryo"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><b>Source: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The post is based on the article <\/span><b>\u201cWithout sperm or egg, how scientists grew whole model of human embryo\u201d <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">published in <\/span><b>Indian Express on 8th September 2023<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><b>What is the News?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scientists have successfully grown a \u201chuman embryo\u201d in the lab without using an egg or sperm.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>How did scientists grow a human embryo in the lab without using an egg or sperm?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-259229\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/130994606_synthetic_human_embryo_6402-2x-nc.png.jpg?resize=254%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"254\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/130994606_synthetic_human_embryo_6402-2x-nc.png.jpg?resize=254%2C300&amp;ssl=1 254w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/130994606_synthetic_human_embryo_6402-2x-nc.png.jpg?resize=868%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 868w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/130994606_synthetic_human_embryo_6402-2x-nc.png.jpg?resize=768%2C906&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/130994606_synthetic_human_embryo_6402-2x-nc.png.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 254px) 100vw, 254px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Source: BBC<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead of a sperm and egg, the starting material was stem cells which were reprogrammed to gain the potential to become any type of tissue in the body.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chemicals were then used to coax these stem cells into becoming four types of cell found in the earliest stages of the human embryo: 1) epiblast cells, which become the embryo proper (or foetus) 2) trophoblast cells, which become the placenta 3) hypoblast cells, which become the supportive yolk sac and 4) extraembryonic mesoderm cells.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A total of 120 of these stem cells were mixed in a precise ratio &#8211; and then, the scientists step back and watch.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">About 1% of the mixture began the journey of spontaneously assembling themselves into a structure that resembles a human embryo.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The embryo models were allowed to grow and develop until they were comparable to an embryo 14 days after fertilization.In many countries, this is the legal cut-off for normal embryo research.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Why are embryo models and research important?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is no way for scientists to ethically research the early stages of development of an embryo, as it is difficult to study it after it implants in the uterus.Scientists currently study these initial changes in various lab models or donated embryos.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This research is crucial because the initial days of embryo development is when the majority of miscarriages and birth defects occur.Studying these initial stages may help scientists understand genetic and inherited diseases better.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moreover, the understanding of why some embryos develop normally, retain the proper genetic code and implant properly in the womb while others do not may also help in improving success rates of in vitro fertilization.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Can lab-grown embryos be used to get pregnant?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No.These models are meant to just study the early stages of development of a foetus.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is generally accepted \u2014 and legally supported in most countries \u2014 that these embryo models will be destroyed after studying the first 14 days. Attempts to implant are not allowed.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Why is there a 14-day limit on embryo research?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The limit was first proposed by a committee in the UK in 1979 after the birth of the first test tube baby Louise Brown demonstrated that embryos could be kept alive in laboratories.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 14-day period is equivalent to when embryos naturally finish implantation. It is also when cells start becoming an \u201cindividual\u201d, and breaking off into a twin is not possible.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Source: The post is based on the article \u201cWithout sperm or egg, how scientists grew whole model of human embryo\u201d published in Indian Express on 8th September 2023 What is the News? Scientists have successfully grown a \u201chuman embryo\u201d in the lab without using an egg or sperm. How did scientists grow a human embryo&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/without-sperm-or-egg-how-scientists-grew-whole-model-of-human-embryo\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Without sperm or egg, how scientists grew whole model of human embryo<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10317,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1566,1738,9],"tags":[11872,10500],"class_list":["post-259228","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-daily-factly-articles","category-science-and-technology-daily-factly-articles","category-public","tag-9pm-daily-factly","tag-indian-express","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259228","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10317"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=259228"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259228\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=259228"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=259228"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=259228"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}