Placental environment (IMAGE)
Caption
In this cross-section of a human placenta, blue labels endothelial cells that line the inner surface of blood vessels, while green indicates pericytes and smooth muscle cells that surround vessels. Red identifies a key structural protein. Individual cell nuclei are labeled in white. Research by the Chappell Lab at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC has for the first time identified a protein present in the placenta that may play a key role in vascular development of the unborn child during gestation.
Credit
John Chappell/Virginia Tech
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