Embryology

Embryology is the science of the early development of organisms , between the one-cell stage (generally, but not always, the zygote) and the beginning of free living.

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Embryology therefore deals with the various steps necessary for the correct and complete formation of the body of a living organism. Born as a descriptive science, modern embryology is involved in studying the molecular mechanisms that underlie the development of the embryo; see also developmental biology, morphogenesis.