One of the most dramatic phases of fetal development occurs as previously unstructured collections of rapidly dividing precursor cells begin forming the embryo's spine. When this process goes well, it ...

After decades of effort, scientists use induced pluripotent stem cells to model human spine development. Findings provide proof of existence of a segmentation clock in humans guiding spine formation.

A spine is a spine is a spine—or is it? From sharks to salamanders to hawks to humans, vertebrates have backbones in common. Even so, vertebrae can form in divergent ways and have a variety of ...

More than 20 years ago, the lab of developmental biologist Olivier Pourquié discovered a sort of cellular clock in chicken embryos where each “tick” stimulates the formation of a structure called a ...

The spine, or backbone, is a long column of bones that runs down the center of a person’s back. It is essential for many functions, such as movement, support, and protecting the spinal cord. A ...

More than 20 years ago, the lab of developmental biologist Olivier Pourquié discovered a sort of cellular clock in chicken embryos where each "tick" stimulates the formation of a structure called a ...