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.