Developmental biologyDevelopmental biology is the scientific study of the processes by which animals and plants grow and develop. The field of developmental biology is further defined by its study of phenomena such as regeneration, asexual reproduction, metamorphosis, and the growth and differentiation of stem cells within the adult organism.
Evolutionary developmental biologyHomologousHox genes in such different animals as insects and vertebrates control embryonic development and hence the form of adult bodies. These genes have been highly conserved through hundreds of millions of years of evolution.Evolutionary developmental biology, informally known as evo-devo, is a field of biological research that compares the developmental processes of different organisms to infer how developmental processes evolved.
Recapitulation theoryThe theory of recapitulation, also called the biogenetic law or embryological parallelism— usually summarized as "ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny"— is a historical hypothesis that the development of the embryo of an animal, from fertilization to gestation or hatching (ontogeny), goes through stages resembling or representing successive adult stages in the evolution of the animal's remote ancestors (phylogeny).
EmbryologyEmbryology (from Greekἔμβρυον, embryon, 'the unborn, embryo'; and -λογία, -logia) is the branch of zoology that studies the prenatal development of gametes (sex cells), fertilization and development of embryos and fetuses. It is a subset of, and predecessor to, developmental biology. Embryology includes teratology, the study of congenital disorders that occur before birth.
MorphogenesisMorphogenesis (from the Greekmorphê shape and genesis creation, literally "the generation of form") is the biological process that causes a cell, tissue, or organism to develop its shape. It is one of three fundamental aspects of developmental biology, along with the control of tissue growth and the patterning of cellular differentiation. The process controls the organized spatial distribution of cells during the embryonic development of an organism.
Cellular differentiationStem cell differentiation into various animal tissue typesCell-count distribution featuring cellular differentiation for three types of cells (progenitor z{\displaystyle z}, osteoblast y{\displaystyle y}, and chondrocyte x{\displaystyle x}) exposed to pro-osteoblast stimulus.Cellular differentiation, also known as cellular specification, is the process in which a stem cell changes from one type to a differentiated one. Usually, the cell changes to a more specialized type.
OrganismAn organism is any living thing that functions as an individual. Such a definition raises more problems than it solves, not least because the concept of an individual is also difficult. Several criteria, few of which are widely accepted, have been proposed to define what constitutes an organism. Among the most common is that an organism has autonomous reproduction, growth, and metabolism. This would exclude viruses, even though they evolve like organisms.
Egg cellThe egg cell or ovum (pl.: ova) is the femalereproductive cell, or gamete, in most anisogamous organisms (organisms that reproduce sexually with a larger, female gamete and a smaller, male one). The term is used when the female gamete is not capable of movement (non-motile). If the male gamete (sperm) is capable of movement, the type of sexual reproduction is also classified as oogamous.
Cell biologyCell biology, cellular biology, or cytology, is the branch of biology that studies the structure, function, and behavior of the cells. All organisms are made of cells. A cell is the basic unit of life that is responsible for the living and functioning of an organism. Cell biology encompasses both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, with subtopics including the study of cell metabolism, cell communication, cell cycle, biochemistry, and cell composition.
EvolutionChange in the heritable traits of populationsEvolution is the change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It happens when individuals in a population vary in their genetic characteristics and in the numbers of their surviving offspring. Mutation introduces new genetic variation, and processes such as genetic drift, gene flow, and natural selection result in some genetic variants becoming more or less common over time.
FertilisationFertilisation or fertilization (see spelling differences), also known as generative fertilisation, syngamy and impregnation, is the fusion of gametes to give rise to a zygote and initiate its development into a new individual organism or offspring. While processes such as insemination or pollination, which happen before the fusion of gametes, are also sometimes informally referred to as fertilisation, these are technically separate processes.Phylogenetic treeA phylogenetic tree or phylogeny is a graphical representation which shows the evolutionary history between a set of species or taxa during a specific time. In other words, it is a branching diagram or a tree showing the evolutionary relationships among various biological species or other entities based upon similarities and differences in their physical or genetic characteristics.
-genyRelated word or term.Special:Search/ontogenyRelated word or term.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.