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Developmental Biology

Developmental biology is the branch of biology that deals with the formation and development of organisms. One of the main areas of research is understanding the control and timing of developmental pathways. In addition to the developmental pathways of organisms, developmental biologists also study the growth and transformation of cells through differentiation, as well as the processes that result in the production of tissues, organs and all other components that an organism must possess in order for proper development to take place. Among some of the specific issues tackled by developmental biologists are chromosomal aberrations (such as those that lead to diseases like Down syndrome) and apoptosis (one of the main types of programmed and orderly self-destruction performed by an unwanted cell for the benefit of the organism’s correct formation)

Embryology is an offshoot of developmental biology and is almost identical in its scope except that it has a more specific timeframe of interest. As such, it studies organisms from the time they are single celled (referred to as zygotes) until the time that they reach the end of the embryonic stage, which does not always coincide with the time of birth.

Web Resources On Developmental Biology

Wikipedia: Developmental Biology
DevBio

Book Resources On Developmental Biology

Developmental Biology by Scott F. Gilbert
Principles of Developmental Biology by Fred H. Wilt, Sarah Hake

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