embryology

[ em-bree-ol-uh-jee ]

noun

, plural em·bry·ol·o·gies.

1. the science dealing with the formation, development, structure, and functional activities of embryos.
2. the origin, growth, and development of an embryo:

   the embryology of the chick.

embryology

/ ˌɛmbrɪəˈlɒdʒɪkəl; ˌɛmbrɪˈɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. the branch of science concerned with the study of embryos
2. the structure and development of the embryo of a particular organism

embryology

/ ĕm′brē-ŏl′ə-jē /

1. The scientific study of embryos and their development.

embryology

1. The study of the embryo ; a major field of research in modern biology .

Derived Forms

• ˌembryoˈlogically, adverb
• embryological, adjective
• ˌembryˈologist, noun

Other Words From

• em·bry·o·log·i·cal [em-bree-, uh, -, loj, -i-k, uh, l], embry·o·logic adjective
• embry·o·logi·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of embryology¹

First recorded in 1840–50; embryo- + -logy

Example Sentences

Centuries of embryology and morphology laid the groundwork for the discipline of developmental biology.

From Scientific American

To detect whether these shapes came from an ancestral bat wing or evolved independently, Sears and her colleagues investigated the embryology of different bat species and the genes responsible for the tissue's development.

From Scientific American

Elliot is an impulsive, hair-down type, who is more excited about pushing scientific and ethical boundaries with a cutting-edge embryology lab than about providing compassionate care.

From Los Angeles Times

He says his years studying embryology left him with the belief that life begins at fertilisation.

From BBC

It also has multiple teams working in parallel on problems of computational biology, cellular engineering, stem cell reprogramming, embryology, protein engineering and animal husbandry, among other focuses.

From Scientific American