# The first two blastomeres contribute unequally to the human embryo

*PRI Rank #13 · Topics and Trends in Most Cited Reproductive Biology and Fertility Papers, Class of 2026*

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/reproductive-biology-and-fertility/2026/rank-13*

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Rank | #13 |
| 18m citations | 40 |
| Journal | Cell |
| Year | 2024 |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.cell.2024.04.029 |
| Corresponding authors | Magdalena Zernicka‐Goetz |
| Institution | California Institute of Technology, United States |

**Ranking page:** [Topics and Trends in Most Cited Reproductive Biology and Fertility Papers, Class of 2026](https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/reproductive-biology-and-fertility/2026)

**Paper link:** [10.1016/j.cell.2024.04.029](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2024.04.029)

## Topics

2-cell stage blastomeres · clonal imbalance · prospective lineage tracing · live imaging · non-invasive cell labeling · Epiblast · Hypoblast · trophectoderm · cell internalization · 8-to-16-cell stage transition · first cell to divide · cell division dynamics · cell internalization bottleneck · clonal asymmetry · Embryonic development

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Reproductive Biology and Fertility Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/reproductive-biology-and-fertility/2026. Accessed 2026-07-17.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```