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What is embryology?
Answer Technically, embryology is the study of the development of embryos, the early forms of adult animals. There currently seems to be a movement to stop using the term in …favor of the term developmental biology . (Personally, I prefer this term because it is both descriptive and all-encompassing -- it would even be useful to talk about the developmental biology of plants.) Developmental biology (and therefore embryology) mostly concerns itself with the study of organ and organ system development. Early studies of developmental biology were chiefly guided by gross anatomical observations of embryo development. For example, the heart was dissected at various levels of development and studied to see where and when certain structures appear and how they relate to the definitive adult heart. The same was done with the nervous system, gastrointestinal system, endocrine system, head and neck, genitourinary system, and other organs and organ systems. New developments in cell and molecular biology have been exploited in developmental biology. Modern approaches often focus on the molecular signals that are switched on and off during development to control the formation of a particular organ. Developmental biology studies a range of animals, from humans and other mammals to chickens and fruit flies. Interestingly, much of what is known about human development was first demonstrated in chicks and fruit flies. ( Full Answer )