ontogeny

noun

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

noun

Same as ontogenesis.

noun

Specifically or specially, the ontogenesis of an individual living organism; the entire development and metamorphosis or life-history of a given organism, as distinguished from phylogeny.

noun

The development of an individual organism.

noun

(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level