Microscope Shows First Hours of Developing Embryo

LONDON (Reuters) - A new high-powered microscope has allowed scientists to watch a zebrafish develop from a single cell into an embryo with a beating heart, the first time this has been possible in vertebrates, researchers said on Thursday.

The montage shows the zebrafish digital embryo [left halves, colors encode movement directions of cells] and the microscopy data [right halves] at different time points in zebrafish development.

They created a three-dimensional digital reconstruction of the tiny, developing fish, which may provide insights into how human organs form and lead to a better understanding of the genetic underpinnings of some diseases, they said.

"This is like being able to watch an animal getting a life," said Joachim Wittbrodt, who led the study published in the journal Science while at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany.

"You have a clump of cells that are transforming into an embryo with a beating heart while you are watching."

source

I love technology - it literally gives humans ESP. Technology allows us to see things outside of our range of normal perceptions and watch even - Life.

Very cool.



[edit on 9-10-2008 by DancedWithWolves]