Scientists have created synthetic human embryos using stem cells in a revolutionary step towards a world where eggs or sperm will no longer be needed, reports Guardian.

Scientists say these embryos, which resemble early human embryos, could provide important scientific advances in better understanding the impact of genetic disorders and the biological causes of recurrent miscarriages.

However, this work also raises serious ethical and legal issues, as lab-grown organisms are not subject to current legislation in the UK and most other countries.

These structures do not have a beating heart or what might be a brain embryo, but contain cells that will go on to form the placenta, the yolk sac, and the embryo itself.

“We can create models that look like a human embryo by reprogramming the cells [stem embrionare]This was stated by the professor of the University of Cambridge and the California Institute of Technology Magdalena Zhernicka-Goetz at the annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research in Boston.

There is no short-term prospect of clinical use of synthetic embryos. It would be illegal to implant in a patient’s uterus, and it is not yet clear whether these structures have the potential to continue maturing beyond the early stages of development.