Morphology (biology)

Morphology (biology)

Morphology is a branch of biology dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features. This includes aspects of the outward appearance (shape, structure, colour, pattern, size), i.e. external morphology (or eumorphology), as well as the form and structure of the internal parts like bones and organs, i.e. internal morphology (or anatomy).

Overview

Morphology is a branch of life science dealing with the study of gross structure of an organism or taxon and its component parts. The word "morphology" is from the Ancient Greek morphē, meaning 'form', and logia, meaning 'study of'.

History

The concept of morphology has been provided in biology by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1790) and independently by the German anatomist and physiologist Karl Friedrich Burdach (1800).

Types of Morphology

Comparative Morphology

Comparative morphology is analysis of the patterns of the locus of structures within the body plan of an organism, and forms the basis of taxonomical categorization.

Functional Morphology

Functional morphology is the study of the relationship between the structure and function of morphological features.

Experimental Morphology

Experimental morphology is the study of the effects of external factors upon the morphology of organisms under experimental conditions, such as the effect of genetic mutation.

See also

• Anatomy
• Phenetics
• Phenotype
• Phenotypic plasticity
• Plasticity (biology)
• Polymorphism (biology)
• Physiology

References

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