Tag

Reproduction

All articles tagged with #reproduction

sciencespace21 hours ago•2 min saved

China Tests Stem-Cell Embryos in Orbit to Assess Space Reproduction Feasibility

China conducted an on-orbit study aboard the Tiangong station using artificial embryos made from human stem cells to examine early development in microgravity. The two embryo models (one simulating uterine attachment and another using a microfluidic chip to mimic tissue formation) were cultured for about five days on the Tianzhou-10 supply ship, then frozen and returned to Earth for analysis, with Earth-based controls for comparison. The goal is to understand potential risks to human reproduction during long-term space habitation, not to create real babies in space.

via Gizmodo|

#biology #china #reproduction

science2 days ago•36 min saved

Melon-sized dinosaur eggs dating 72 million years reveal new clues about ancient reproduction

Paleontologists have unearthed clusters of dinosaur eggs dating to about 72 million years ago, roughly the size of small melons. The discovery at a fossil site provides new insights into nesting behavior and reproduction in dinosaurs, enriching our understanding of late Cretaceous life.

via Yahoo|

#dinosaurs #eggs #fossils

plants10 days ago•37 min saved

Garlic halts insect reproduction by taste, study finds

A Yale-led study shows garlic does more than repel pests: when fruit flies and two mosquito species taste the garlic compound diallyl disulfide, it activates the TrpA1 receptor and triggers bitter/ fullness signals that stop feeding and, crucially, reproduction. The effect is taste-based (not smell) and wasps lacking TrpA1 are unaffected. This points to garlic-derived compounds as targeted, safer pest-control tools, and the researchers also introduce phytoscreen as a simple method to screen plant substances for behavioral effects on insects.

via Earth.com|

#diallyl-disulfide #garlic #insects

science17 days ago•7 min saved

Reversible Nonhormonal Male Contraception Edges Toward Reality

Cornell researchers demonstrated a proof-of-principle for nonhormonal, reversible male contraception by transiently halting sperm production in mice through disruption of meiosis with the small molecule JQ1. Fertility recovered after treatment ended, with most normal meiosis and healthy offspring upon breeding, suggesting a potential injectable or patch-based method for humans—though JQ1 itself isn’t suitable for human use due to side effects.

via SciTechDaily|

#male-birth-control #meiosis #nonhormonal

animals1 month ago•63 min saved

Peaceful queen succession observed in naked mole rats, challenging the species' bloody reputation

In a Science Advances study, researchers at the Salk Institute observed a rare peaceful transfer of power in a naked mole rat colony: after relocating the Amigos colony, the reigning queen Teré paused reproduction for almost a year, two of her daughters began reproducing in sequence, and Arwen ultimately became the new breeding queen by the end of 2025, showing that even highly eusocial mammals can exhibit flexible, nonviolent queen succession.

via Live Science|

#animals #eusocial #naked-mole-rat

science1 month ago•6 min saved

Serial mouse cloning hits a hard biological limit after 58 generations

A 20-year mouse cloning study from the University of Yamanashi shows that repeating cloning builds up genome-level damage, reduces fertility, and cannot sustain a mammal line beyond 58 generations—the last generation died soon after birth—despite producing over 1,200 clones from a single donor, indicating current nuclear-transfer cloning methods have a hard biological limit.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#cloning #genetics #genome

science1 month ago•34 min saved

Cosmic parenthood in doubt as space-like microgravity halves sperm navigation

New microgravity experiments using a tiny obstacle course showed human and mouse sperm navigated about 50% less effectively in space-like conditions, resulting in roughly a 30% drop in fertilization. While some sperm still reach the egg and may form higher-quality embryos, embryo development in weightlessness could pose major challenges, suggesting space reproduction may be possible only for the fittest sperm and with careful embryo protection as NASA pursues Moon and Mars settlements.

via Yahoo|

#embryo-development #microgravity #reproduction

science1 month ago•24 min saved

Space Sperm Need Gravity to Find Their Way

Adelaide University researchers tested human, mouse, and pig sperm in a device simulating microgravity, finding that sperm struggled to navigate a maze mimicking the female reproductive tract and showing about a 30% reduction in successful navigation under zero gravity, underscoring gravity as a key factor in early reproductive success during space conditions.

via OutKick|

#reproduction #science #space-travel

space-exploration1 month ago•75 min saved

Space reproduction hurdles: microgravity slows sperm and embryo development

A University of Adelaide study used a 3D clinostat to simulate microgravity and found that sperm from humans, mice, and pigs had about 30% fewer chances to reach eggs in microgravity, while embryos formed under these conditions initially appeared stronger but degraded with longer exposure. The results suggest mammalian reproduction in space could be highly challenging for long-term space settlements, though future work could explore partial gravity (Moon/Mars) and potential IVF advances on Earth.

via Space|

#embryos #ivf #microgravity

space2 months ago•97 min saved

Microgravity May Block Reproduction, Complicating Space Colonization

A study using a clinostat to simulate microgravity found that sperm navigation, fertilization, and embryo development are impaired in mammals (humans, mice, and pigs) under near-zero gravity, with fertilization dropping by about 30% in mice and 15% in pigs and embryos showing developmental delays. Progesterone helped sperm navigate but required unusually high concentrations, and safety concerns remain. These findings highlight gravity’s deep role in reproductive biology and suggest that long-term space settlements face significant fertility challenges, underscoring the need for further research before space colonization can be considered viable.

via Live Science|

#astronauts #fertility #microgravity

science2 months ago•4 min saved

Sperm Lose Direction in Microgravity, Raising Spaceflight Reproduction Concerns

Researchers used a 3D clinostat to simulate microgravity and tested human, pig, and mouse sperm in a channel resembling the female reproductive tract; they found a significant drop in the number of sperm reaching the egg under microgravity, not due to motor changes but impaired direction sensing; fertilization dropped about 30% after four hours of exposure, with longer exposure causing delays and fewer embryos; progesterone could still guide sperm, indicating chemotaxis remains important; the findings, published in Communications Biology, imply spaceflight could affect reproductive outcomes in humans and livestock, highlighting the need for further research.

via ScienceAlert|

#fertilization #microgravity #reproduction

space2 months ago•3 min saved

Sperm Lose Direction in Microgravity, Prompting Space Reproduction Research

Australian researchers used a clinostat to simulate microgravity and found human, mouse, and pig sperm become disoriented, with about a 40% drop in those reaching a simulated egg; microgravity also affected early embryo development in animals, though healthy embryos could form, and progesterone helped guide sperm. The findings underscore the importance of understanding reproduction in space for future Moon/Mars settlements and ongoing space biology programs, while noting radiation and ethical considerations remain challenges.

via The Guardian|

#adelaide-university #microgravity #reproduction

science2 months ago•4 min saved

Cloning's mutational cliff: line ends after 58 generations

A Japanese team conducted a serial cloning study starting from one female mouse, re-cloning for 57 generations and producing over 1,200 offspring. By generation 58, accumulated genetic mutations and loss of the X chromosome caused the re-cloned mice to die shortly after birth, effectively ending the line. Crossbreeding later-generation clones with normal mice showed initially normal litter sizes but reduced fertility in later-generation lines, with partial recovery in descendants. The results support Muller's ratchet and reinforce the idea that sexual reproduction is essential for long-term mammalian survival, limiting the practical viability of endless cloning.

via ScienceAlert|

#genetic-cloning #mammals #mullers-ratchet

biology2 months ago•16 min saved

Clone-ception Hits a Wall: Infinite Cloning Isn’t Feasible

Japanese researchers studying serial cloning in mice with the epigenetic modifier trichostatin A found that while many late-generation clones were healthy at birth, the lineage eventually hit a hard limit: by the 58th generation the clones survived for only a day. TSA boosted cloning success (about 5.4% at generation 51) compared with 1.6% without it, and over 1,200 clones were produced from a single donor. Each generation accumulated mutations (roughly 70 SNVs and 1.5 structural variants), and in some cases placental abnormalities were corrected in later offspring through sexual reproduction, suggesting that sexual reproduction helps purge deleterious mutations and that indefinite cloning remains biologically unfeasible for now.

via Gizmodo|

#biology #cloning #epigenetics

lifestyle2 months ago•17 min saved

Choosing Not to Reproduce May Extend Lifespans Across Mammals, New Study Finds

A mega-analysis of 117 mammal species shows that restricting reproduction—via contraception or sterilization—can extend life expectancy by about 10%, with male lifespans increasing when testosterone is reduced through castration (vasectomy effects vary), and females living longer when reproduction is blocked. The results point to energetic and hormonal costs of reproduction as a trade-off with survival, though effects vary by species and context, and human implications remain uncertain.

via Earth.com|

#aging #contraception #life-expectancy