Developmental biology is the branch of biological sciences that investigates the processes by which organisms grow, differentiate, and acquire their form from fertilization to adulthood and often through regeneration and aging. It integrates molecular genetics, cell biology, genomics, and systems biology to elucidate mechanisms such as cell fate specification, pattern formation, morphogenesis, and organogenesis. Developmental biology examines regulatory gene networks, signaling pathways (e.g., Wnt, Hedgehog, Notch, TGF-β), epigenetic modifications, and mechanical forces that coordinate spatial and temporal control of gene expression and cellular behavior, providing a framework for understanding congenital disorders, tissue regeneration, and evolutionary changes in body plans.
Xenophagocytosis is a natural immune process that limits interspecies organ generation by eliminating living donor cells, researchers at the Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan, report. By uncovering how embryonic macrophages ...
Cell & Microbiology
Aug 1, 2026
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193
Every embryo of an organism that reproduces sexually faces an early and consequential decision: which of its cell lineages will make up the mortal body, and which will become the germline, the lineage that eventually makes ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 30, 2026
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6
Archaic human parents had to look after helpless infants like modern-day parents do, according to new research. Human babies are born less developed than those of other great apes and are therefore unable to move as freely. ...
Evolution
Jul 28, 2026
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98
Every human cell has millions of ribosomes that make proteins. For decades, biologists thought of ribosomes as tiny, uniform machines. But now a Stanford Medicine team is showing that ribosomes are much more interesting and ...
Biotechnology
Jul 28, 2026
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12
Researchers at the University of Vienna have discovered a key mechanism that enables sea anemones to regenerate into fully developed organisms from disorganized clusters of cells. The study, published in Nature Communications, ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 21, 2026
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5
Blood transfusions are crucial in human and veterinary medicine, yet human blood reserves are in constant need of donors, while blood bank systems in veterinary care are nearly nonexistent. This leaves canine transfusions ...
Biotechnology
Jul 19, 2026
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84
Fossil finds are exciting moments that sometimes introduce the world to an ancient mammal or dinosaur that existed millions of years ago. But a longstanding problem in paleontology is that fossils are often incomplete, and ...
Paleontology & Fossils
Jul 16, 2026
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37
Scientists have discovered that marsupial forelimbs (arms) develop much earlier before birth than previously thought, providing new insights into evolutionary innovation and biology.
Plants & Animals
Jul 15, 2026
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11
Honey bee larvae lack the sophisticated olfactory capabilities of adult honey bees, a new study finds. Scientists point to this temporary loss of function as a side effect of the nurse bees' heroic level of brood care, calling ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 14, 2026
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25
New research finds that the "silent" mutant male crickets of Hawaii, first observed more than 20 years ago, have now become well established across the Hawaiian islands, and that the reproductive challenges caused by a lack ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 8, 2026
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6
