Scientists used mice to learn when a fetal clock begins to work. They gave pregnant mice a chemical that makes a tagged clock protein glow so cameras could record clock activity. The glowing showed when the fetal clock was active.
The team found that fetal rhythms matched the mother's rest and activity during the last week of pregnancy. The researchers linked this timing to maternal glucocorticoid hormones (daily hormones) and found that giving synthetic glucocorticoids made pups' clocks sync faster. The timing of such drugs may be important in people at risk of preterm birth.
Difficult words
- fetal — relating to a baby before birth
- protein — a molecule in cells that does jobs
- rhythm — a regular pattern of activity or movementrhythms
- maternal — relating to the mother during pregnancy
- glucocorticoid — a hormone the body makes each dayglucocorticoids
- preterm — before the normal time of birth
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Discussion questions
- Why might timing of drugs be important for people at risk of preterm birth?
- Name one tool or method the scientists used in the study.
- Why do you think researchers study development before birth?
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