#gastrul

[izel-scribbles]

locking in for biology finals (making 73482981 flashcards)

[bpod-bpod]

Culture of Continuity

Models of embryo formation called blastoids created from human pluripotent stem cells grown on a 3D matrix bear characteristics of continuous early development from pre-implantation to early gastrulation – the point of multi-layered organisation

Read the published research paper here

Image from work by Rowan M. Karvas and colleagues

Department of Developmental Biology and Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA

Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Published in Cell Stem Cell, September 2023

You can also follow BPoD on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook

[dasloddl]

developmental biology really just straight up sucks

[whatgoesthroughmyhead]

"In a paper published in May, Higgins described evidence that the hairline of a middle-aged man could be traced back to the earliest stages of embryonic development. Around the third week of an embryo’s life, cells form three layers called the ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm. Most organs in the body contain cells that derive from just one of these lineages: the endoderm gives rise to the internal organs, the mesoderm becomes the muscle and connective tissues, and the ectoderm becomes the central nervous system. “Normally a tissue is one lineage, but the [skin] is a bit of an enigma,” says Higgins. “The dermis [the skin’s lower layer] on the face is ectoderm and the dermis on your body is mesoderm, but the top of your head is not really known.”"

...I'm sorry what?

What the hell is that about?!

article here (about the possibility of reversing male pattern baldness)

Also here's an image from a totally difference source, to try to give us a little clarity on this wackiness:

[covid-safer-hotties]

Reference preserved in our archive (Daily updates!)

Just a 'mild' reversal of a fetus's internal organs...

Context and significance A striking increase in situs inversus cases, diagnosed by ultrasound, was observed several months following removal of zero-COVID-19 policies in China, which coincided with a surge in SARS-CoV-2 infection. The rare clinical evidence presented here reveals a previously unobserved possible fetal consequence of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection specifically during gestational weeks 4–6. To date, visceral lateralization has never been definitively linked to a specific developmental time in humans due to the rarity of such fetal samples. This study advances our current understanding of gastrulation-stage development and possibly provides the most robust support yet linking an environmental factor to occurrence of situs inversus, opening new research directions into mechanisms of visceral lateralization in humans and consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy.

Highlights • Situs inversus is associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection at gestational weeks (GWs) 4–6 • Results herein support previously undefined visceral lateralization at GWs 4–6 in humans • SARS-CoV-2 infection at GWs 4–6 is well supported as an environmental risk factor for situs inversus

Summary Background A dramatic increase in fetal situs inversus diagnoses by ultrasound in the months following the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) surge of December 2022 in China led us to investigate whether maternal SARS-CoV-2 exposure could be associated with elevated risk of fetal situs inversus.

Methods In this multi-institutional, hospital-based, matched case-control study, we investigated pregnant women who underwent ultrasonographic fetal biometric assessment at gestational weeks 20–24 at our hospitals. Each pregnant woman carrying a situs inversus fetus was randomly matched with four controls based on the date of confinement. Relevant information, including SARS-CoV-2 infection, and other potential risk factors were collected. Conditional logistic regression was used to test possible associations between fetal situs inversus and SARS-CoV-2 infection at different gestational weeks as well as individual risk factors.

Findings A total of 52 pregnant women diagnosed with fetal situs inversus between January 1 and October 31, 2023 and 208 matched controls with normal fetuses were enrolled. We found no association between an increased risk of fetal situs inversus with gestational SARS-CoV-2 infection or with other risk factors. However, fetal situs inversus was significantly associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection specifically in gestational weeks 4–6 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 6.54 [95% confidence interval 1.76–24.34]), but not with infection at other gestational ages, after adjusting for covariates.

Conclusions Increased risk of fetal situs inversus is significantly associated with maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection at gestational weeks 4–6, corresponding to the fetal developmental window for visceral lateralization in humans.

[fuzzyfrizzlefrack]

Do you know any cool science facts? Bonus points if the inspire awe and wonder!

As a former science educator, it is my moral duty to have and share cool science facts. ;)

Would you believe that humans are more closely related (evolutionarily speaking) to a sea urchin than to an octopus?

One of our strongest pieces of evidence for this comes from the study of embryonic development, or embryology. Some time after germ cells combine to form a single-celled zygote, the cell divides several times to form a hollow sphere of cells called a blastula. In animals with bilateral body plans (i.e., digestive tract surrounded by a separate internal body cavity, with a mouth at one end and an anus at the other), that digestive tract begins forming as the blastula undergoes gastrulation, a process by which one part of the surface of the sphere turns in on itself.

This initial opening into the digestive tract, the blastopore, is either the mouth or the anus. In protostomes ("mouth-first"), the blastopore is the the mouth! As the digestive tract develops, it will eventually form an anus at the other end of the embryo. In deuterstomes ("mouth-second"), the mouth... forms second. The blastopore is the anus.

As it turns out, many worms, slugs, and the like - including molluscs and cephalopods - are protostomes. Deuterostomes then encompass many of the creatures you might name with bilateral body plans (and related, radial body plans like starfish and sea urchins), including arthropods, birds, fish, reptiles, mammals, even tunicates! And humans.

At one point in our development, each and every one of us was nothing more than a butthole. Sometimes it seems some people never progressed past that stage!

[chaosstudiesmed]

finally something that makes sense gastrulation i love you everyone say thank you gastrulation

[ask-la-squadra]

For everyone!! If you could pic another job aside from the mafia...what would you choose?

And to the mod, have a lovely day 💜

Risotto Nero - I'd probably be a teacher, science in particular

Pros - I'd be an architect, almost went to university for it before things went south

Pesci - I honestly don't know...

Maggi - A vet or someone who works at an animal shelter I think, it would be very fulfilling

LuLu - I'd love to own a small cafe or a hair salon, something unique

Melone - Well I have a PhD so probably something in the biological research field, specifically into gastrulation, it fascinates me

Ghiaccio - Olympic skater, or I'd at least try, did you think I got my stand for nothing.

Sorbet - CEO of something, whatever pays best

Gelato - Probably an accountant, stable and pays well

[ask-spidermom]

No improvement after 2 weeks. Loss of appetite. Frequent meltdowns.

There was a crayon drawing on the bottom of the table; a stick person with a big smile, then several smaller stick people with broad Xs for eyes. Harry’s stomach twisted as he stared up at them.

Woodie murmured, almost more to themself than anyone else, “... What happened here?”

“I-I can't remember. I don't remember.”

Only in quick flickers, in shoddy projector slides.

No adverse effects yet. Complaints about the size of the pills. Split dosage into smaller capsules?

Harry scooted out from under the table and let Woodie help him to his feet.

A child’s shriek pierced the space, reverberating through the hall until, for a split second, it sounded as though coming from every direction. After a tense moment, Harry cautiously straightened his shoulders and squeezed Woodie’s hand. They led him out of what was labeled on an old staff directory map as the ‘recreation chamber’— a large room with foam padded floors, a swing and a round table with crayons and paper.

“Let's go this way.” Harry said, tapping an orange arrow on the wall. There were several similar indicators in various colours, all leading off in different directions.

An informational sign in the foyer outside the recreation chamber had denoted them as relating to the following departments:

purple: PLAGUE

green: RETROSPECTIVES

red: BILE REQUISITION

blue: DETRITUS & NUTRITION

orange: HOME

Failure begets failure. Poison in the blood. Poison in the brain. Irritability, nightmares, increasingly uncooperative. Dosage adjustment needed.

The orange arrow led them down another hallway, then around a corner. On the wall opposite, a plaque stood before a large, darkened display window.

“Press to illuminate each specimen…” Woodlock read aloud.

“That- uh, I-I don't—”

With a click, one specimen jar on the far left of the window lit up. It had something small within, a pale, pink spec with a dark spot, surrounded by nondescript tissue matter. Click. The lights buzzed and flickered. Another jar, then another, both containing humanoid fetuses at varying stages of development.

Click.

The last place looked empty, at first. Harry leaned in, then let out a small cry. The light shimmered across the fine detritus of shattered glass and dry mucus.

“It's just a dream, dear.”

Harry pulled away from the window, “It's never just a dream.”

“I mean, it’s the same old things arranged in unfamiliar patterns, is all.”

They continued down the hall. The orange arrow, smudges of something wet and viscous dragging itself along. Harry pushed away memories of his mother sobbing, despondent with a kind of grief too heavy for his little arms to hold when he scrambled onto the couch to comfort her.

“I found out about it by accident. Uh, just poking around in old project folders. Stuff about producing genetically identical embryos with various minor tweaks in the nucleic code,” Harry laughed dryly, “And then I was like, hold on, I know that genome. That's me!”

“You recognize your genome sequence?”

“It’s usually apparent by the second page.”

Specimen No.1

21 days. Perished during later stages of gastrulation.

Specimen No.4

4 weeks. Death due to complications regarding chromosomal abnormalities.

Specimen No.13

32 weeks. Complications with cardiac development.

Specimen No. 15

1 day.

The blue arrow was visible on a wall down the side corridor. The wall had a dark smeared handprint along the bottom that trailed beyond view.

“I try not to think about it. I don't like bringing up stuff mom has done, ‘cause she gets upset.” Harry picked at a loose thread at the hem of his sleeve.

“It was her hand that carved in you a wound that never healed.”

“... I try not to think about it.”

At the end, there was a large room with pretty wood flooring and floral wallpaper. Inside, an overturned dinner table and two chairs.

It felt, somehow, as if there were something missing in the space. Harry closed his eyes, trying to remember what it could've been. A girl, maybe. She had long, frizzy strawberry blonde hair tied into a french braid. She wore a stained yellow-orange jumpsuit.

The absence, her absence. The empty space folded into the figure of the girl, crouched on her hands and knees by the table. She was crunching something between her teeth, pulling a string of sinew from her lips. She jerked upright, eyes wide.

Harry met her gaze. He knew her face, even smeared with blood. It looked a lot like his.

She took a breath and screamed.

[caesarsaladinn]

regardless of the researcher’s overall weirdness it does take a certain baseline insanity to spend a six-decade career watching the same 72 hours of embryo development happen over and over and over and over and over again. six decades of gastrulation. you could wind up in a time loop and might not even notice

[inkofamethyst]

September 26, 2023

I would first like to reiterate: H O U S E.

Okay!

So last weekend I went to a club for the very first time (I know, shocking) with the three girls I've been hanging out with recently, and it was certainly An Experience. Lots of bodies, lots of jostling (I vividly remember thinking "this is what a cell must feel like during gastrulation" which I feel like is generally not something people think about on a Friday night), the occasional brush of my skin against someone else's which made me want to puke, strobe lighting, jumping, etc. Higher ceilings and cleaner floors than the last party I went to four years ago. I only really have one Going Out Top (I altered it this summer so it fits amazinggg) and the color accidentally coordinated with the other girls' getups so that was fun, we were a unit. Um, somehow pretty privilege (and perhaps a bit of being woc in a club that noticeably (but not necessarily oppressively) lacked poc rep, but that's more of my own speculation) allowed us to skip the line? I won't expect that ever again but it was kind of great because it was chilly outside. Admittedly, what was not so great was how I accepted a side hug from a random dude with clammy skin who I did not know and who was dreadfully inebriated, but that was because the initial shock of his breath which was just drenched in alcohol (and also because one of the girls I was with fully leaned into pretending to know this guy to jump the line which worked (he had pregamed hard) but I fell for her acting too and actually thought this was someone she knew when it was most certainly not). I honestly just don't have enough life experience to know how to navigate situations like that in a way that maintains my comfort. Another downside to, well, being genuinely pretty boring. You never have to develop a failsafe to someone bringing you in for an unwanted hug (which by the way I'm generally not a hugger but I kind of have to just go with it for family but those were the only situations in which I would regularly be expected to hug) when you don't really ever go out lol. It happened twice last weekend (I'm not even going to get into the second time because not to victim blame or anything but letting that one happen was on me even though the guy totally shouldn't've gone for it in the first place, I absolutely could have and should have stopped it). So. Now I need an escape plan for the future. Since I'm a social butterfly or whatever now apparently.

Also,,,, definitely feeling the academic rigor that comes with going to school at an academically rigorous institution. Midterm season starts next week, and I can already tell that it's going to be tough. Lots to memorize for anatomy, lots of application in regen, lots of synthesis in devbio. lovely. And all in like the span of a single week too. Plus I'm supposed to start lab work during that same week. I think regen is going to be the most difficult, but none of them will be particularly easy.

Today I'm thankful that the paper I have to present on in regen this week is relatively straightforward. I'm getting better at getting through them! I'm also thankful that my partner for the presentation is an ultra competent undergrad. We've got this in the bag.

I've been dreadfully unproductive the past couple of days, but I made a to-do list this afternoon and was able to cross off every last thing which usually doesn't happen. Granted, many of the things on the list weren't all that difficult, but they were all things that needed to get done, and sometimes you need little wins.

I'll make a list for tomorrow, too. Gotta start including studying on it.

[elfpylon]

studying embryo gastrulation while listening to eva entry plug sound

[leedsomics]

Three-dimension transcriptomics maps of whole mouse embryo during organogenesis

Understanding mammalian development heavily relies on classical animal models like the house mouse (Mus musculus). Advanced spatial transcriptomics has enabled biologists to break new ground in studies of molecular dynamics and cellular patterning during embryonic development with spatiotemporal resolution. To construct a comprehensive developmental trajectory, current three-dimensional (3D) spatial transcriptomic profiling leverages mouse embryos from gastrulation (E5.5) to organogenesis (E13.5) in continuity. However, a crucial phase for early organogenesis between E9.5 and E11.5 was deficient. To unveil the mystery of this stage, we present the 3D transcriptomics of mouse embryos at E9.5 and E11.5, with a widely applicable reconstruction workflow that bypasses sophisticated bioinformatic calculations. As our 3D atlas is generated at single-cell resolution, we demonstrate how organogenetic processes can be interpreted at different levels of granularity, from local cellular interactions to whole embryonic regionalization. We release the open-access database MOSTA3D (Mouse Organogenesis Spatiotemporal Transcriptomic Atlas in Three-dimensional) and hope a broader community will contribute to extending this framework from conception to senility in the near future. http://dlvr.it/TC7NxX

[crystaivfdel]

Where is the embryo embedded in the female reproductive organ for development?

After fertilization, the embryo travels through the fallopian tube to reach the uterus. The uterus, lined with a specialized tissue called the endometrium, is the ideal environment for  the day by day embryo development.

The Implantation Process

Day 5–6: The embryo, now a blastocyst, arrives in the uterus. It attaches to the endometrium, a process known as implantation.

Implantation Success: Successful implantation is important for a healthy pregnancy. The endometrium must be receptive to the embryo.

Hormonal Influence: Hormones like progesterone play a vital role in preparing the endometrium for implantation.

Early embryonic development

Weeks 1-2: The embryo rapidly divides and differentiates into specialized cells.

Formation of Organ Systems: Key organs and tissues begin to form, including the heart, brain, and spinal cord.

A Tiny Miracle: By the end of week 2, the embryo is about the size of a sesame seed.

Key Stages of Embryonic Development

Gastrulation: This process occurs around week 3 and involves the formation of the three primary germ layers: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. These layers will give rise to all the body's tissues and organs.

Neurulation: The nervous system begins to develop during weeks 3–4, with the formation of the neural tube.

Organogenesis: Throughout the first trimester, various organs and systems continue to form and mature.

A Fascinating Journey

Embryonic development is a complex and awe-inspiring process. From the tiny blastocyst to a developing fetus, the embryo undergoes remarkable transformations over the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Key Points to Remember:

The uterus provides a nurturing environment for the embryo to implant and grow.

Successful implantation is essential for a healthy pregnancy.

The early stages of embryonic development are characterized by rapid cell division and the formation of key organs and tissues.

The first trimester is a critical period for the development of the fetus.

[science-selected-yura15cbx]

A single-cell atlas of pig gastrulation as a resource for comparative embryology

[reeekyoo]

Summarization of the Processes involved in Animal Embryonic Development

The first aspect needed to do is the union of sperm cells and egg cells to make a fertilized egg or zygote. After fertilization, there are a series and rapid mitotic divisions called Cleavage. In this process, the zygote divides many times without separating or changing in mass. It looks like an "atis" or sugar apple because of the smaller cells. These smaller cells are called blastomeres and the one large cell is called a blastula. This part also started the implantation in the uterus, where the zygote attaches to the uterus lining. Then, the cells (smaller cells) will rearrange into multi-layers (gastrula), it also observed the movement of the cell in forming the layers (invagination). This process will be called Gastrulation, which leads to an opening (blastopore) and then filled with archenteron. Later on, the opening becomes an anus. The three germ layers are the endoderm (inner part), ectoderm (outer part), and mesoderm (middle part) Now, the three germ layers execute the assigned body parts/systems on them, that direct on the formation of organs, and these process is called Organogenesis. These germ layers differentiate into tissues to form the organs such as; ectoderm for epithelial (skin), nervous system, etc. mesoderm for muscular, skeletal, heart, etc. endoderm for the respiratory system, glands, etc. The embryo will adopt a support membrane for embryo growth and nutrition. And the development will continue in the embryo until it becomes a fetus.