Embryology History

Introduction

These notes are intended to give some historic background to Embryology. Historically, say pre-20th century, Embryology was not easily separated from Medicine, Anatomy and Physiology and other biological sciences. I have also divided, for brevity, into pre-20th century, pre-molecular (lets call it 70's) and the current molecular embryology.

Historic Disclaimer - information about historic embryology pages
Pages where the terms "Historic" (textbooks, papers, people, recommendations) appear on this site, and sections within pages where this disclaimer appears, indicate that the content and scientific understanding are specific to the time of publication. This means that while some scientific descriptions are still accurate, the terminology and interpretation of the developmental mechanisms reflect the understanding at the time of original publication and those of the preceding periods, these terms, interpretations and recommendations may not reflect our current scientific understanding. (More? Embryology History \| Historic Embryology Papers)

Links: Category:Historic Embryology | Embryology Historic Terminology

Long Ago

Arabian Medicine
Mediaeval Science in the West
The Great Anatomists
Gabriel Fallopius (1523-1562) - Fallopian tube (uterine tube, uterine horn) named after.
The coming of Harvey
Leeuwenhoek Discovers Bacteria
Medicine in the 16th and 17th Century
Philosopher-Scientists and new Institutions
18th Century Anatomy and Physiology Part 1 | 18th Century Anatomy and Physiology Part 2 | 18th Century Anatomy and Physiology Part 3
18th Century Medicine
17th and 18th Century Anatomies

1770 - 1775 A series of models commissioned by Giuseppe Galletti (? - 1819) currently held in the Institute and Museum of the History of Science (Italy) Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza (IMSS). Giuseppe Galletti and others used terracotta and wax models that he had commissioned in Florence between 1770 and 1775 to train surgeons and midwives. Week 10 Fetus Model | Week 16 Fetus Model | Week 24 Fetus Model | Stage 1 Terracotta Model 1 | Stage 1 Terracotta Model 2 | Stage 1 Wax Model | Breech Birth 1 | Breech Birth 2 | Breech Birth 3 | Breech Birth Wax Model | Placenta Previa | Category:Galletti1770

19th Century

1880 - image excerpts from a historic study of German embryologist Wilhelm His (1831-1904) Anatomie menschlicher Embryonen (1880).

Leydig cells named after german zoologist Franz von Leydig (1821 - 1908). (Franz von Leydig)

Evolution Theories | Evolution Darwin

1824 - Rolando cut chemically hardened (fixed) pieces of brain tissues into thin sections for microscopical examination

1889 - Camille Golgi discovered a method of silver staining hardened brain tissues

Early 20th Century

1906 - Earl J. Brown textbook on The Embryology Anatomy and Histology of the Eye.

1914 - image excerpts from a historic study of The Anatomy of a 17.8 mm Human Embryo by Thyng, FW 1914

1917 - "On Growth and Form" D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson (1860-1948) publishes this book on the application of mathematics to growth in nature.

1918 - links to images from the historic textbook Anatomy of the Human Body by Henry Gray.

1918 - Streeter G.L. (1918). The histogenesis and growth of the otic capsule and its contained periotic tissue-spaces in the human embryo.

1935 - Hans Spemann Nobel Prize in Medicine.

1920 - Bradley M. Patten textbook on The Early Embryology of the Chick.

Development in the early 20th century can also be seen in some Historic Movies 1920-1960.

Late 20th Century

Much of the modern history of Medicine/Embryology is documented in the Nobel Prizes for Medicine. There are either text extracts included or links to external texts or references in these notes. Some key women in development Virginia Apgar and Nicole Le Douarin.

1951 - Dr Viktor Hamburger and H L Hamilton publish "A series of normal stages in the development of the chick embryo."

1953 - Apgar test - historic neonatal test designed by Dr Virginia Apgar.

1965 - Neural Crest Research Nicole Le Douarin.

1978 - First IVF baby born (The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2010 Awarded to Robert G. Edwards "for the development of in vitro fertilization")

1996 - "Dolly the sheep" First adult somatic cell cloning using the process of nuclear transfer.

Nobel Prizes

Much of the modern history of Medicine/Embryology is documented in the Nobel Prizes for Medicine. Remember that these award dates reflect findings that have proven to be scientific key breakthroughs from earlier dates.

1986 discoveries of growth factors
1995 genetic control of early embryonic development

21st Century

2000 - Human Genome Complete

2001 talk given by Robert Winston "Engineering Reproduction: Will We Still Be Human At The End of the 21st Century".

Nobel Prizes

Much of the modern history of Medicine/Embryology is documented in the Nobel Prizes for Medicine. Remember that these award dates reflect findings that have proven to be scientific key breakthroughs from earlier dates.

2002 cell cycle
2002 cell death
2007 embryonic stem cells
2009 - Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) Stem Cells Embryology Blog 2009
2010 - Development of in vitro fertilization (IVF) Awarded to Robert G. Edwards In Vitro Fertilization | Nobel Prize 2010)

Also see other History of Medicine Resources, particularly Dr. Ian Carr's brief paper on The History of Childbirth, and Neonatology on the Web has a long list of historic Classic Papers in Neonatal Medicine.

People in Embryology History

Embryology Textbooks

Most Textbooks include Embryology Historic issues in the preface, opening chapter or within each chapter as a special section or highlighted text box. Therefore no specific chapter or page reference is shown for the texts below.

Human Embryology (2nd ed.) Larson
The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology (6th ed.) Moore and Persaud
Before we Are Born (5th ed.) Moore and Persaud
Essentials of Human Embryology Larson
Fitzgerald

History of Science

Book - A History of Science by Henry Smith Williams

Nobel awards in Medicine

The Nobel Prize Homepage has a searchable database and an annual table of awards.
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2002 - discoveries concerning 'genetic regulation of organ development and programmed cell death' Summary: "The human body consists of hundreds of cell types, all originating from the fertilized egg. During the embryonic and foetal periods, the number of cells increase dramatically. The cells mature and become specialized to form the various tissues and organs of the body. Large numbers of cells are formed also in the adult body. In parallel with this generation of new cells, cell death is a normal process, both in the foetus and adult, to maintain the appropriate number of cells in the tissues. This delicate, controlled elimination of cells is called programmed cell death."
The discovery of Hox genes and other genes related to body pattern formation. The fly Antennapedia mutant during development the embryo incorrectly positions two legs (pedia) where antenna should have been positioned. The discovery of this mutant in opened up the field of developmental genes and this field has recently (1995) been rewarded with a Nobel prize in Medicine. See also Fly Development
Award Details: "for their discoveries concerning the genetic control of early embryonic development"
- LEWIS, EDWARD B., U.S.A., California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, U.S.A., 1918
- NUSSLEIN-VOLHARD, CHRISTIANE, Germany, Max-Planck-Institut f√ºr Entwicklungsbiologie, Tubingen, Germany, 1942
- WIESCHAUS, ERIC F., U.S.A., Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, U.S.A., * 1947

Historic Disclaimer

Historic Disclaimer - information about historic embryology pages
Pages where the terms "Historic" (textbooks, papers, people, recommendations) appear on this site, and sections within pages where this disclaimer appears, indicate that the content and scientific understanding are specific to the time of publication. This means that while some scientific descriptions are still accurate, the terminology and interpretation of the developmental mechanisms reflect the understanding at the time of original publication and those of the preceding periods, these terms, interpretations and recommendations may not reflect our current scientific understanding. (More? Embryology History \| Historic Embryology Papers)

Students by definition are learning about a topic, so it would seem contrary to the function of an educational site to include information that may be either incorrect or inaccurate. On the other hand, I think it is also important to understand how we achieved our current understanding of embryology and the researchers, discoverers and educators who have made important contributions.

I therefore offer the following study suggestions: Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced

Please note that I am still adding materials to this section and not all embryology history is yet covered (I am looking for contributors, can you help?).

Beginner students

You are just starting your studies and trying to understand basic embryology and development concepts.

Should probably avoid any content on the site labeled "Historic". The content may confuse or mislead your understanding of basic concepts in embryology and development. Begin with the notes pages linked from the image on the Main Page, or from the Site Map (excluding the history section of site).

Also be careful when viewing images and descriptions that appear as "additional images" or when using the "category" links at the bottom of pages.

Intermediate students

You have a general understanding of embryology and development concepts.

This means you have attended some lectures and practical classes, worked through some of the site notes pages, or studied an embryology textbook. I would still suggest caution when approaching historic material, be sure that you understand the current embryology theories. General observations of how long development takes and the appearance of the human and animal models embryos at different times will not have changed!

Historic images are generally more accurate than some of the accompanying notes pages where the images appear. Some of the labeled structures may have historic names that have been updated or changed in current descriptions, if in doubt use the Glossary. You may also note how many of the textbook images have been based upon some of these historic drawing.

Advanced students

You have a good understanding of embryology and development concepts.

This means that you not only understand, but can also explain clearly to others key developmental concepts. This also implies you understand the differences between recent findings, current controversies and research directions. Now is the time to confidently look back through the.

These historic materials will provide a context of how we arrived at our current understanding. Importantly, note the date on the page and consider what scientific techniques were available at that time and concurrent discoveries in biology and science.

How will I know that I am an advanced student? You should be able to identify concepts that remain and are applied today as well as those which have been updated or proved to be incorrect. Please also feel free to contact me with mistakes you have identified on this educational site.

Standing on the shoulders of giants.

References

A HISTORY OF SCIENCE by Henry Smith Williams
THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES by Charles Darwin
Anatomy of the Human Body by Henry Gray‎‎

Articles

Search Pubmed

August 2010 "Embryology history" All (5271) Review (756) Free Full Text (799)

Search Pubmed: Embryology history

External Links

Hippocrates on the Web
Faculty of Medicine of the University of Manitoba. Histories of Medicine on the web by Manitoba Authors | DYING TO HAVE A BABY - THE HISTORY OF CHILDBIRTH by Dr. Ian Carr, Professor of Pathology
Hannah Chair, History of Medicine, Queen's University
Karolinska Institute- History of Biomedicine
MEDICAL HISTORY ON THE INTERNET
Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine
WWW Virtual Library - History of Medicine
Antique Medical Instruments- Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Online Microscopes
Neonatology on the Web | Classic Papers in Neonatal Medicine- (A large list of historic texts available online) | An Essay upon Nursing and the Management of Children, from their Birth to Three Years of Age, Third Edition, by William Cadogan, 1749.

Glossary Links

Glossary: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | Numbers | Symbols | Term Link

Cite this page: Hill, M.A. (2024, May 6) Embryology Embryology History. Retrieved from https://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php/Embryology_History

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