Developmental biology is the study of how animals and plants develop from embryos into adults. It encompasses a wide range of topics, including cell differentiation, growth and morphogenesis (the shaping of tissues and organs).
Developmental biologists use a variety of techniques to study development, including genetics, biochemistry, molecular biology and microscopy. They often work closely with other disciplines such as evolutionary biology, medicine and engineering.
The field of developmental biology has its roots in the early 19th century, when scientists first began to study how animals develop from fertilized eggs. In 1828, German biologist Karl Ernst von Baer described the four main stages of embryonic development: cleavage (division of the egg), gastrulation (formation of the gut), organogenesis (formation of organs) and metamorphosis (transformation into an adult). Von Baer’s work laid the foundation for modern embryology.
In 1859, Darwin’s On the Origin of Species provided a new framework for understanding development. Darwin proposed that all organisms share a common ancestor, and that species evolve through natural selection – the process by which some individuals are more likely to survive and reproduce than others. This idea had a profound impact on developmental biologists, who began to see development as an evolutionary process.
During the first half of the 20th century, many important discoveries were made about animal development. In 1902 , Hans Spemann proposed that certain cells in embryonic tissue could induce surrounding cells to change their fate – a process known as “induction” . This discovery led to a better understanding of how different cell types are generated during development . In 1925 , Spemann’s student Hilde Mangold transplanted part