Science
fromWIRED
1 week agoHow Genes Have Harnessed Physics to Grow Living Things
Mechanical forces like the Marangoni effect guide embryonic axis formation, complementing genetic and chemical cues in shaping development.
The simulation made it possible to appreciate how a human embryo does not merely adhere to the uterine lining, but actively inserts itself. "We observe that the embryo pulls on the uterine matrix, moving and reorganizing it," explained Amélie Godeau, coauthor of the research, which was published in Science Advances. These movements could explain the pain some women report days after fertilization.