The probability of zygotes (i.e., cells formed by the fusion of the egg cell (in human, the ovum) and the spermatozoid) or seeds to survive and develop into an adult organism is known as viability. Mutations in gametes (i.e., germ cells, egg or...

Viability means in general "capacity for survival" and is more specifically used to mean a capacity for living, developing, or germinating under favorable conditions. The word is especially used in the following...

An older woman's slim chances of getting pregnant could be made worse if embryos are screened for defects before being implanted into the womb, doctors said Wednesday.Pregnancy and live birth rates were substantially lower among women whose embryos were screened compared with those whose were...

Doctors call her the world's smallest prematurely born baby. Now Amillia Sonja Taylor, born after less than just 22 weeks, will stay in the hospital a few extra days as a precaution before going home.Taylor was just 9 1/2 inches (24 centimeters) long and weighed...

A premature baby who doctors said spent less time in the womb than any other surviving infant will remain in a hospital a few extra days as a precaution, officials said Tuesday.Amillia Sonja Taylor, born Oct. 24 after just under 22 weeks in the womb,...

Texas laws allow the killing of a fetus to be prosecuted as murder, regardless of the fetus' stage of development, but they do not apply to abortions, the state's highest criminal court has ruled.Wednesday's ruling by the Court of Criminal Appeals rejected an appeal by...