Article
Article
Embryogenesis
Article By:
Cavey, Michael J. Department of Biology, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Meinke, David Department of Botany and Microbiology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Last reviewed:April 2021
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.229800
The formation of an embryo from a fertilized ovum (zygote). Embryogenesis is a key process of developmental biology and is often referred to as embryonic development. It basically encompasses all mechanisms involved in the development and formation of an embryo (see illustration). Development begins when the zygote (fertilized ovum), originating from the fusion of male and female gametes (sex cells), enters a period of cellular proliferation, or cleavage. Cells of the embryo subsequently give rise to the tissues and organs of the body in a temporal and spatial pattern that creates a functional, multicellular organism. See also: Cell differentiation; Cleavage (developmental biology); Developmental biology; Embryology; Embryonic differentiation; Embryonic induction; Ovum; Pattern formation (biology)
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