It is important for the lining of the womb to know if an embryo is healthy before allowing it to implant, but how this is done was unclear. Now, a study at the University of Southampton has shown the amount of a chemical, trypsin, helps determine whether an embryo implants.
When a sperm fertilizes an egg and begins to divide and grow, the process does not always go smoothly.
“A lot of embryos have chromosomal abnormalities so there must be a mechanism to stop a pregnancy,” fertility scientist Prof Nick Macklon told the BBC.
“So the question is how does the endometrium [the lining of the uterus] detect the quality?”
Read the full, original story here: Embryo ‘chatter’ clues to fertility
