ontogeny
1
9.9
- noun
- /ɒnˈtɒdʒəni/
- Specialized
:
ontogenia
- Encapsulation of the parotid gland occurs late in ontogeny, and the gland develops in a loose arrangement with intermingling of lymphoid tissue.
- ontogeny recapitulates
- ontogeny and phylogeny
Examples
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Anthropogenic activities directly or indirectly affect lake trout at discrete points during their ontogeny.
Academic text (1999) -
In more recent studies, the ontogeny of root systems has been investigated.
Academic text (2011) -
Architectural analysis is thus a tool to describe the progressive development, or ontogeny, of a given species.
Academic text (2011) -
For example, what are the developmental and genetic steps in the building of a horn during larval ontogeny?
Academic text (2005) -
A comprehensive sampling of ontogeny in terms of age range and the number of representative individuals is needed to accurately quantify dimorphic patterns.
Academic text (2017) -
Following Tinbergen (1963), investigations pertaining to behavioral evolution have been centered on addressing the ontogeny, mechanisms, maintenance, and origins of behavior.
Academic text (2013) -
The ontogeny of a butterfly includes distinct stages from egg to adult.
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Researchers study the ontogeny of various fish species to understand their growth patterns.
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Understanding the ontogeny of mammals helps scientists develop better conservation strategies.
Synonyms
158
2.0
The way a living thing grows and becomes more complex
137
1.4
An increase in size and parts of a living thing over time
11
5.3
Becoming fully grown and developed, for example in people or wine
The development of an animal or plant from a single cell to a fully grown adult
How Developed
101
3.3
11
5.3
- Specialized
1
9.9
- Specialized
1
9.0
- Specialized
27
4.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
ontogeny = onto + geny
Formed from Greek combining forms (onto- + -geny) that are not productive standalone English words, so an average B1 learner cannot reliably infer the meaning from familiar English components.
Etymology
Ontogeny comes from Greek parts onto- meaning 'being' and -geny meaning 'birth' or 'origin'. A helpful way to remember ontogeny is to think of it as the 'birth and growth story' of one living thing, and -geny is the same idea you see in genesis and generate. So ontogeny is how an individual develops from the start to adulthood.