The morphology It is the branch of biology that focuses on the study of the structures and shape of organisms. Studies aspects such as the color and size of the external areas of the individual and also takes into account their internal organs.
This science began to take shape in the early 1800s, and as time passed, it grew exponentially. Today it is still very useful for the description of new species, for the identification of adaptations to certain selective pressures and has had a very relevant impact on evolutionary biology..
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"Morphology" is a term derived from Greek roots morphé, which means form, and logos, which means science or study. Together, the term refers to the study of the forms of organic beings.
Although studies of the shape of organisms date back to Aristotelian times, where the parts of animals were already used for their classification.
Morphology began to formally germinate as a science in the early 1800s. The fathers of this discipline were Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Karl Friedrich Burdach, who convergently founded morphology..
In fact, it was Goethe who coined the term morphology to describe the totality of the form of an organism, through its development until it reaches the adult stage. This naturalist focused on comparing the morphology and development of plants.
Goethe's analogue in zoology was the French Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire. Geoffroy focused his studies on the anatomy and embryology of animals, developing the theory of analogs and the principle of connections. This researcher managed to find the correspondence of organs in different species.
Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric, Baron Cuvier or simply George Cuvier was a French naturalist who, like Geoffroy, left important contributions in the area of morphology.
He noted the correlation between animal parts and how well they work together - like carnivores' teeth and their meat-eating gastrointestinal tract..
He used morphology to establish a classification of animals, grouping them into four groups according to their organization: vertebrates, mollusks, articulated and radiated..
Another prominent authority in the field of morphology was the biologist Sir Richard Owen, being an analog to Cuvier but of English origin. He held a functional vision of organic forms.
Owen's most important contribution is related to homology (two or more characteristics or processes that possess a common origin and may or may not retain the same function and appearance), and in fact, the term is attributed - just like analogy.
Although Owen's vision of homology was pre-Darwinian, today they are concepts that remain in use and are one of the strongest evidence of the evolutionary process of organic beings.
Given the time, most academics held creationist positions or had a penchant for the transmutation of species in time..
Morphology is a branch of biology whose objective of study is the forms and structures of living beings. Including aspects related to the external appearance, such as the size, shape and color of the structures; and also of the inner parts like organs and bones.
In contrast, morphology does not aim to study the function of these structures, since this is the primary goal of physiology..
Morphology is used by biologists for multiple purposes. For example, morphologically comparing two groups of individuals can be used as a suitable methodology to verify whether or not the populations in question belong to the same species. In this context, the role of homologous structures plays a crucial role in the analysis.
This quantitative analysis of shape and size is called morphometry. It covers a number of very useful techniques. It is not restricted to answering questions of taxonomic identity, it can also be applied to the variation of the form in response to environmental factors..
Nowadays, with all the technological advances, the morphological approach is complemented - or corroborated - with molecular studies of the organisms in question, especially when the morphology is not sufficient for classification..
For example, twin species or cryptic species differ genetically and there is reproductive isolation between populations, however there are no appreciable morphological differences..
There are also individuals that belong to the same species but exhibit very marked polymorphisms (different forms).
The study of the morphology of organisms, particularly that of plants, makes it possible to define the type of vegetation and the type of biome. The morphology of plant communities also allows obtaining information on other disciplines, such as the function, physiology and genetics of the organism.
This branch of morphology focuses its studies on the relationship that exists between the morphology of a structure or a section of an organism and the function it performs.
Study the patterns of similarity within the body of an organism, comparing it with other individuals or species through descriptions and measurements. Often overlaps - or used synonymously - with the concept of comparative anatomy.
The determination of the homology and the analogy of structures has evolutionary implications, since only the homologous structures and processes allow a reliable reconstruction of the evolutionary history of the group..
This branch leaves the simple context of descriptions and enters an experimental field. Through modifications in the environmental conditions of the organisms, the effects it has on the morphology of the organism are evaluated.
It is widely recognized that, although two individuals share an identical genome (clones), if they are exposed to different environmental conditions (such as pH, temperature, humidity) the morphology can vary. The pattern obtained by varying the conditions and relating them to different phenotypes is known as reaction normal..
Experimental morphology also studies the effect of genetic mutations on organic structures.
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