(Phys.org) —Early embryonic development is a marvel of mechanics. Its signature step is the production of three tissue layers—mesoderm, ectoderm, and endoderm—through a topological maneuver known as gastrulation. While events that occur before, and after, this stage generally march to the beat of their own drum depending on the species of embryo, the invagination of external tissue to become internal tissue is a universally recognizable process. A recent paper published by Brunet et. al. in Nature Communications has now linked key conserved movements in gastrulation to specific molecular agents that make things happen at the critical hinge points.
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