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science of the early development of organisms, between the one-cell stage (generally, the zygote) and the beginning of free living. 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: morphogenesis, embryogenesis, Important publications in embryology