Context

The period of human embryonic growth covered is between the formation of the primordial germ cells in the fetus until mid-pregnancy. High quality research on lower animals is included if it helps to clarify the human situation. Studies progressing to birth and later are published if they have a direct bearing on events in the earlier stages of pregnancy.

Relevant topics

• Fertility and infertility

• IVF and assisted reproduction

• Reproductive endocrinology

• Reproductive physiology

• Fertilization

• Gamete donation

• Embryology

• Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD)

• Genetic disorders afflicting the embryo and their alleviation

• Cloning

• Stem cells

• Implantation and organogenesis

• Pregnancy, fetus and birth

• Ethics, social, legal, counselling (see below)

Ethics Bioscience and Life

Constant attention is applied to ethical matters. Where appropriate, articles covering ethical, religious and political topics arising through the treatment and care of various clinical conditions will be published in Ethics Bioscience and Life, an occasional supplement to the main journal that shares its impact factor. This supplement is published 3 or 4 times annually.

News items

International news from wide sources, and other matters of relevance to the journal’s fields of study are invited. These should be 200-700 words in length and may be published at the Editors’ discretion.