BPoD has moved!

BPoD has recently changed our domain name - we can now be found at bpod.org.uk

Please update your bookmarks!

Now in our 13th year of bringing you beautiful imagery from biomedical science every day

Search the archive of over 4000 images

Combined Effects

How gene mutation and alcohol exposure converge to cause birth defects

12 November 2020

Combined Effects

signalling pathways’ – choreograph precise changes that guide the growth of the complex human body from scratch. If these signals are distorted fatal birth defects, such as holoprosencephaly a condition linked to genetic mutations and alcohol exposure, can result. Previous research revealed that mutations in a gene called CDON, part of the Hedgehog signalling pathway, cause holoprosencephaly when a foetus is exposed to alcohol in the womb. To understand more, a new study examined mouse embryos (pictured, with nerves coloured) and discovered that the alcohol exposure was most harmful at early stages of pregnancy, and that the damage was caused via a second signalling pathway. This highlights how a combination of factors, both genetic and alcohol-related, prompt such developmental disorders, and insights like this could one day help prevent them.

Written by Anthony Lewis

Search The Archive

Submit An Image

Follow on Tumblr

Follow on Instagram

What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

Read More

BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.