developmental biology

American  

noun

1. the branch of biology dealing with the processes of growth and change that transform an organism from a fertilized egg or asexual reproductive unit, as a spore or gemmule, to an adult.

---

developmental biology Cultural  

1. The study of the processes by which an organism develops from a zygote to its full structure. This field includes the study of cellular differentiation as well as body structure development. (See also embryology.)

---

Etymology

Origin of developmental biology

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

developmental biology

Nathan Shatz, who earned his molecular, cellular and developmental biology degree from Michigan, is a co-founder of Milieu.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

By studying the developmental biology of metabolism and how it differs in autism, new insights are emerging in ASD and other complex developmental disorders.

From Science Daily ● May 10, 2024

Greider, a distinguished professor of molecular, cell, and developmental biology at UC Santa Cruz, and a University Professor at Johns Hopkins, was the senior author on the paper and led the work.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 11, 2024

What are some of the big remaining open questions in the field of developmental biology?

From Scientific American ● Nov. 9, 2023

Centuries of embryology and morphology laid the groundwork for the discipline of developmental biology.

From Scientific American ● Nov. 9, 2023