Improved Graphics

A little like watching a remastered movie or video game, as technology improves, scientists get the chance to revisit intricate natural structures and marvel at new details. Here we see a 'cinematic rendering' of a healthy human placenta, based on new data from cutting-edge imaging techniques. Using a form of phase-contrast X-ray tomography, high-powered particles, generated by a synchrotron, deflect off the surface of the living tissues revealing its contours to graphics specialists who reassemble the organ in 3D. Zooming in on different regions of the placenta like a panning shot across the surface of an alien planet, we see the twisting form of the umbilical cord and its network of blood vessels. While it’s exciting to see these dramatic details, these high-resolution techniques also help researchers spot clues to help both mother and child during pregnancy.

Written by John Ankers

John Ankers

Writer

A former researcher in systems biology, John is now an online biology tutor and professional coach supporting the wellbeing of scientists and NHS professionals. He's writing, too, of course.

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• Video from work by Jakob Reichmann and colleagues
• Institute for X-ray Physics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
• Video originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
• Published in PNAS NEXUS, January 2025