Ontogeny (noun)

1. The study of the developmental history of an individual organism from conception to death.
2. The study of the changes in anatomy, physiology, and behavior that occur during the life of an organism.

Origin:

Derived from the greek words 'ontos' meaning 'being' and 'genes' meaning 'born'.

Examples:

1. The researcher studied the ontogeny of the fruit fly, from egg to adult.
2. Ontogeny provides insight into the genetic and environmental factors that shape an organism's development.
3. The course in biology covered topics like phylogeny and ontogeny.
4. The comparative analysis of the ontogeny of different species can reveal the evolutionary origins of particular traits.
5. An understanding of ontogeny is essential for fields like developmental biology and medicine, where researchers aim to understand how organisms develop and what causes certain diseases.