ontogeny

Also on·to·gen·e·sis

[on-toj-uh-nee]

noun

Biology.

1. the development or developmental history of an individual organism.

ontogeny

/ ˌɒntəˈdʒɛnɪsɪs, ˌɒntəˈdʒɛnɪk, ˌɒntədʒɪˈnɛtɪk, ɒnˈtɒdʒənɪ /

noun

1. the entire sequence of events involved in the development of an individual organism Compare phylogeny

ontogeny

1. The origin and development of an individual organism from embryo to adult.

Other Word Forms

• ontogenetic adjective
• ontogenetical adjective
• ontogenic adjective
• ontogenetically adverb
• ontogenically adverb
• ontogenist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ontogeny¹

First recorded in 1870–75; onto- + -geny

Example Sentences

Looking for a solution to this problem, Cajal turned to embryology—also known as ontogeny—which he had first read about in a college textbook.

From Scientific American

“Here phylogeny closely replicates ontogeny” — why yes, of course it does, and a “prolegomenon”? By all means, make mine a large one, no ice.

From New York Times

Martin starts rambling off a list of words: thaumatology, ontology, eschatology, epistemology, phenomenology, teleology, etiology, ontogeny.

From Washington Post

Are there any biologists out there who can give us an idea how these environmental triggers for gene expression and suppression might affect development were they to occur during ontogeny?

From New York Times

Distinct routes of lineage development reshape the human blood hierarchy across ontogeny.

From Nature

Related Words

• advancement 
• evolution 
• expansion 
• improvement 
• increase 
• progress