Moment of heart’s formation captured in images for first time

Time-lapse footage reveals cardiac cells in a mouse embryo begin to organise themselves during early development

The moment a heart begins to form has been captured in extraordinary time-lapse images for the first time.

The footage reveals cardiac cells in a mouse embryo begin to spontaneously organise themselves into a heart-like shape early in development. Scientists say the technique could provide new insights into congenital heart defects, which affect nearly one in 100 babies.