Science writers should stop abusing agency

[grude]

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/wellness/pregnancy/story/2011-10-16/Study-suggests-origins-of-pregnancy-linked-high-blood-pressure/50774510/1

So, to outwit the mother’s lymphocytes, the father’s trophoblasts create a diversion. Trophoblasts make a protein (PP13), which exits the blood vessels and travels into the lining of the uterus.

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Kliman said the molecular battle is driven by the father-directed trophoblasts, which are trying to create conditions for a big, healthy baby, while mother needs to tamp down on growth so that the fetus is small enough to get through the birth canal.

“The mother does not want to die. The father wants a big baby. So they compromise,” he said. “If the invasive trophoblasts are killed, the blood vessels wouldn’t open up, and the baby would die. If the father wins the battle and the trophoblasts are able to go into the uterus, the baby would grow too big and the woman would die.”

:rolleyes:

What does my kidney want? How do my neurotransmitters feel about immigration debate?