ADVERTISEMENT
A tomography image in greyscale of snake tissues
Snakes Have Clitorises After All, Study Finds
Researchers visualize the snake clitoris in detail for the first time, finding evidence that the organ may be evolutionarily important for snake sex.
Snakes Have Clitorises After All, Study Finds
Snakes Have Clitorises After All, Study Finds

Researchers visualize the snake clitoris in detail for the first time, finding evidence that the organ may be evolutionarily important for snake sex.

Researchers visualize the snake clitoris in detail for the first time, finding evidence that the organ may be evolutionarily important for snake sex.

reproduction

illustration of human oocyte
Mammalian Oocytes Store mRNA in Newly Found Membraneless Structure
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Oct 20, 2022 | 3 min read
The findings answer the longstanding question of where these cells hold the mRNA needed to cope with the transcriptional halt preceding meiosis.
pollen tubes releasing sperm into ovule
Science Snapshot: Go Forth and Multiply
Lisa Winter | Oct 6, 2022 | 1 min read
An honorable mention in the 2022 Nikon Small World in Motion competition shows thale cress sperm being released into the ovule.
John Glass describes why researchers constructed a synthetic unicellular organism and how it unravels the secrets of evolution.
The Scientist Speaks - DIY Cells: Understanding Life with a Synthetic Minimal Cell
Sejal Davla, PhD | 1 min read
John Glass describes why researchers constructed a synthetic unicellular organism and how it unravels the secrets of evolution.
ant with wings on white background
Secret to Reproductive Ants’ Longevity Revealed
Patience Asanga | Sep 2, 2022 | 3 min read
Researchers say they've figured out how some reproductive ants live up to 30 years—far longer than workers.
dark image with red ring
How Immature Egg Cells in Ovaries Resist Aging
Shafaq Zia | Aug 4, 2022 | 3 min read
The cells’ mitochondria skip a key metabolic reaction that takes place in other cells in the body, a study finds.
Green fruit hanging in a tree
Trees’ Scent Tricks Hornets Into Shuttling Seeds
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Jun 30, 2022 | 4 min read
Agarwood fruit smells like prey, luring carnivorous hornets, a study suggests.
Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V computer keyboard button with cable isolated on white background
Opinion: The Reproductive Technology Advances No One Asked For
John D. Loike and Alan Kadish | Jun 22, 2022 | 4 min read
Cloning and parthenogenesis of humans wouldn’t align with bioethical principles.
brown spotted octopus blending in with its background
Steroids May Explain Octopuses’ Self-Starvation
Andy Carstens | May 16, 2022 | 2 min read
Two glands increase steroid production after female California two-spot octopuses mate, a study finds. Those hormones may be responsible for the animals’ self-destructive behavior.
Image of sperm hooks (<em>Peromyscus maniculatus</em>)
The Mystery of the Mouse Sperm Hook
Natalia Mesa, PhD | May 2, 2022 | 5 min read
Nearly all mouse sperm have hooks on their heads. But new research suggests the structures slow them down—so what exactly is their purpose?
Philoponella prominens spiders mating
Spiders Catapult Themselves to Avoid Becoming Their Mate’s Meal
Hannah Thomasy, PhD | Apr 25, 2022 | 2 min read
During their escape, male spiders can reach speeds in excess of 3 kilometers per hour thanks to their springy front legs.
Pink rat pups piled on top of each other.
Rat Sperm Generated from Stem Cells
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Apr 7, 2022 | 4 min read
Researchers report they were able to make functional sperm in a dish, a feat previously only possible for mice.
illustration of a mitochondrian inside a cell
Could Dad’s Mitochondrial DNA Benefit Hybrids?
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Jan 20, 2022 | 7 min read
Studies have found that organisms can inherit mitochondria from male parents in rare instances, and both theoretical and experimental work hint that this biparental inheritance is more than just a fluke.
collage of images related to favorite stories, including black and white photo of flowers, illustration of two rats, human body with floating coronaviruses
The Scientist Editors’ Favorite Stories of 2021
The Scientist Staff | Dec 28, 2021 | 5 min read
A look back at some of the articles we most enjoyed reading, writing, and editing this year
colored microscope photo of xenobot
“Xenobot” Living Robots Can Reproduce
Chloe Tenn | Dec 2, 2021 | 2 min read
Biological robots made from frog cells can replicate by smooshing loose cells into new robots—a reproduction method not seen in any other organism.
Pink-toned illustration of the uterus with a zoom of the inflamed cervix and of the uterine endometrium and immune cells found there
Infographic: Research Questions to Be Tackled by Uterus Transplants
Jef Akst | Aug 1, 2021 | 2 min read
Scientists are banking various samples from recipients of donated uteruses to learn all they can about the biology of the organ, and about transplantation more generally.
An illustration of flowers in the shape of the female reproductive tract
Uterus Transplants Hit the Clinic
Jef Akst | Aug 1, 2021 | 10+ min read
With human research trials resulting in dozens of successful deliveries in the US and abroad, doctors move toward offering the surgery clinically, while working to learn all they can about uterine and transplant biology from the still-rare procedure.
Opinion: How Biomedicine Could Transform Human Reproduction
Henry T. Greely | Aug 1, 2021 | 3 min read
CRISPR and other innovations are likely to open up a wealth of new options for how people have children.
Illustration of two rats, one male and one female, that are surgically joined. The male has a uterus transplanted in, and both have embryos transplanted into their uteruses.
Study that Impregnated Male Rats Stirs Controversy
Andy Tay | Jun 25, 2021 | 7 min read
A combination of approaches, including uterus transplantation and the joining of two animals’ circulatory systems, allowed males to bear pups, according to a preprint. But some experts say the experiments were not justified.  
Magnified image featuring a full view of a bdelloid rotifer recovered from permafrost (labeled A) along with two insets: one side view of the organism’s head (labeled B) and a view of its mouthparts (labeled C)
Rotifers Bounce Back After Being Frozen for 24,000 Years
Lisa Winter | Jun 8, 2021 | 2 min read
The hardy animals were pulled from the permafrost in Siberia, giving scientists the opportunity to study how they survive extreme conditions.
ADVERTISEMENT