Developmental Biology

Developmental biology is a branch of natural science that studies a variety of interactions involved in the formation of the heterogeneous shape, structure, and size of different organisms that occur during the development of an embryo into an adult.

  • In short, developmental biology is a discipline that deals with the processes involved in the development of a multicellular organism as controlled by genetic information.
  • Developmental biology studies the mechanisms of development, differentiation, and growth in both plants and animals at the cellular, molecular, genetic, and evolutionary levels.
  • Different forms of reproduction like sexual reproduction, asexual reproduction, metamorphosis, and germination of seeds and embryos form an essential aspect of developmental biology.
  • Developmental biology is a fast-growing discipline that is interrelated with a vast array of disciplines like molecular biology, anatomy, cancer biology, immunology, ecology, evolutionary biology, cell biology, and physiology.
  • Studies done in developmental biology have provided information on the molecular genetics of development, growth factors, and oncogenes, the evolution of developmental control, mechanisms of differentiation, gametogenesis, and fertilization, and control of gene expression.
  • Other areas of emphasis in developmental biology include transcriptional control, cell-cell interactions, regulatory hierarchies, signal transduction, etc.
  • The development of developmental biology as an important discipline is due to its applications in different areas.
  • The results of researches are used in fertility clinics where the information is used for artificial insemination, test-tube culture, and to treat other infertility issues.
  • Tissue engineering is another essential technique that utilizes concepts of developmental biology to grow replacement tissues in plastic dishes and to control the formation of cancer cells.
  • Reactivation of stem cells to grow replacement tissues is also by virtue of accomplishments made in developmental biology.
  • In agriculture, techniques developed for selective breeding by optimizing root systems, plant size, and flowering time has allowed for a better and increased harvest.

Cell Cycle- Definition, Phases, Regulation and Checkpoints

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Cell Cycle

Cell Cycle Definition The cell cycle is the sequence of events occurring in an ordered fashion which results in cell growth and cell division. The cycle begins at the end of each nuclear division and ends with the beginning of the next. A cell cycle acts as a unit of biological time that defines the life history of the cell.  The cell cycle is a continuous process that includes all significant events of the cell, ranging from duplication of DNA … Read more

Week by week pregnancy (Baby and body development with tips)

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Week-wise timeline of pregnancy (Week 1 to Week 40)

Disclaimer: The information presented on the website is for academic, study, and general information purposes only. The information and tips presented on the website must not be used for the purpose of medical advice or diagnosis or treatment. If you are not feeling well, please consult with your physician or doctor or qualified health care providers. Pregnancy is a period that begins from the first day of the last menstrual cycle and ends with the birth of the baby. This … Read more

Zebrafish Development

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Zebrafish Development The teleost fish Danio rerio is commonly known as the zebrafish. It is a common small‐bodied tropical, freshwater species originally from South Asia.  The fish is a part of the Cyprinidae family, which includes carps, true minnows, barbs and related genera. The Danio genus (formerly Brachydanio) contains more than 40 related species along with the zebrafish (Danio rerio). Zebrafish as a Vertebrate Development Model Organism In recent years, zebrafish has become a favorite organism of those who wish to study vertebrate development … Read more

Implantation- Process, Events, Significance

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Implantation- Process, Events, Significance The term “implantation” is used to describe the process of attachment and invasion of the uterus endometrium by the blastocyst (conceptus) in placental animals. It begins at the end of the first week and is completed by the end of the second week of gestation. Implantation occurs in the endometrium of the uterus superior in the body region, slightly more often on the posterior than on the anterior wall. It involves a receptive endometrium and hormonal … Read more

Heart Embryology- Development of the Heart

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Heart Embryology- Development of the Heart The heart is a muscular organ located in the middle mediastinum that pumps blood through the circulatory system. It is one of the earliest differentiating and functioning organs in the human body. In human embryos, the heart begins to beat at about 22-23 days, with blood flow beginning in the 4th week. It begins very early in mesoderm within the trilaminar embryonic disc. The heart forms initially in the embryonic disc as a simple paired tube … Read more

Developmental Biology

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Developmental Biology

What is Developmental Biology? It is the field of biology that studies the processes by which multicellular organisms grow and develop, controlled by their genes.  It involves the study of mechanisms of development, differentiation, and growth in animals and plants at the molecular, cellular, genetic and evolutionary levels. It also encompasses the biology of regeneration, asexual reproduction, metamorphosis, and the growth and differentiation of stem cells in the adult organism. The study of development has become essential for understanding any other area of biology. Image Source: Wikipedia and Researchgate … Read more

Stages of Childbirth

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Stages of Childbirth

Stages of Childbirth Labor is a physiologic process during which the fetus, its associated membranes, the umbilical cord, and the placenta are expelled from the uterus. During most of the months of pregnancy, the uterus undergoes periodic episodes of weak and slow rhythmical contractions called Braxton Hicks contractions. Contractions become progressively stronger toward the end of pregnancy; that start stretching the cervix and later force the baby through the birth canal, thereby causing parturition. This process is called labor, and … Read more

Drosophila Development- Stages, Significance

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Drosophila Development- Stages, Significance The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has been extensively studied for over a century as a model organism for genetic investigations. It also has many characteristics that make it an ideal organism for the study of animal development and behavior, neurobiology, and human genetic diseases and conditions. Image Source: biology.kenyon.edu Developmental Stages of Drosophila The development of Drosophila can be divided into the following stages: Embryogenesis 1. Fertilization Fertilization of Drosophila can only occur in the region of the oocyte … Read more

Development of Caenorhabditis elegans

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The nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans is a small (1 mm long), unsegmented, vermiform, free-living soil nematode. It is a relatively simple, and precisely structured organism, extensively used as a model organism for molecular and developmental biology. The body of an adult C. elegans hermaphrodite contains exactly 959 somatic cells, whose entire lineage has been traced through its transparent cuticle. Its genome has also been entirely sequenced, the first-ever for a multicellular organism. Reasons for Selection as Model Organism It has a rapid … Read more

Blastocyst- Stages, Significance

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The preimplantation period of human embryo development is remarkable and characterized by successive changes in terms of genetic control, physiology, and morphology of the embryo. Blastocyst (Greek, blastos= sprout + cystos = cavity) is a distinctive stage of mammalian embryo development, characterized by a hollow cellular mass that forms in early development. It is an embryo that has developed for five to six days after fertilization. It is a form of blastula developing from a berrylike cluster of cells called the morula. When a cavity appears in … Read more