Morphology

Introduction
Historical background
Fundamental concepts
- Homology and analogy
- Body plan and symmetry
- Morphological basis of classification
Areas of study
- Anatomy
- Histology
- Cytology
- Embryology
Methods in morphology
- Chemical techniques
- Microscopic techniques

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

Diagram comparing analogous structures by showing a horse leg next to an ant leg, a dolphin flipper next to a fish fin, and a chicken wing next to a cicada wing, highlighting similar functions despite different evolutionary origins.

At a Glance

morphology summary

Quizzes

greylag. Flock of Greylag geese during their winter migration at Bosque del Apache National Refugee, New Mexico. greylag goose (Anser anser)

Biology Bonanza

Related Questions

How are bacterial biochemical tests used alongside morphology for identification?
How are insect head, thorax, and abdomen structures used in classification?
How are morphological features used to identify plant and animal species?
How can comparisons of hemoglobin genes reveal evolutionary history?
How can morphology examine structures from whole organisms to DNA molecules?
How did Andreas Vesalius challenge Galen’s anatomical descriptions?
How did Marcello Malpighi demonstrate the existence of capillaries?
How did William Harvey’s blood-flow experiments predict the existence of capillaries?
How did animal domestication and crop cultivation add to early knowledge of morphology?
How did nineteenth-century scientists advance the study of chromosomes and mitosis?
How did prehistoric cave paintings show knowledge of animal form?
How did scientists grow an entire carrot plant from a single mature cell?
How do DNA sequence studies test classifications based on morphology?
How do analogous structures differ from homologous structures?
How do bright-field, dark-field, fluorescence, and phase-contrast microscopy differ for studying microorganisms?
How do cacti and African euphorbias show convergent evolution?
How do homologous structures provide evidence for evolution?
How do light microscopes and electron microscopes differ in the details they can reveal?
How do meristems produce new parts in higher plants?
How do staining techniques improve the observation of plant cells and tissues?
How does a scanning electron microscope create three-dimensional-looking images?
How does a transmission electron microscope reveal structures inside cells?
How does a tube-within-a-tube body plan differ from the body plan of jellyfish?
How does autoradiography show where radioactive substances are concentrated in tissue?
How does biological morphology differ from anatomy?
How does biological morphology differ from physiology?
How does cephalization change the front end of an animal’s body?
How does embryology help scientists understand the structures of mature plants and animals?
How does fluorescence microscopy locate particular proteins inside cells?
How does histochemistry identify the locations of molecules and enzymes in cells?
How does parallel evolution explain similarities between Australian marsupials and placental mammals?
How does the arrangement of vascular tissues help distinguish plant groups?
How does the human embryonic tail become the adult coccyx?
What is serial homology in the human body?
What observations of animals did Aristotle record in Historia animalium?
Which animal groups have nematocysts, a water vascular system, or a hollow dorsal nerve cord?
Which bird features have been used to classify bird species and groups?
Which features are used to classify bacteria by morphology?
Why are an organism’s structure and function closely connected?
Why are barnacle larvae important evidence for relationships among crustaceans?
Why are bird wings and fly wings considered analogous?
Why are the forelimbs of humans, whales, dogs, and bats homologous?
Why do sharks and dolphins have similar external body shapes?
Why is knowledge of morphology important for physicians and veterinarians?
Why is phase-contrast microscopy useful for studying living cells?
Why is segmentation useful for classifying animals?
Why is the biochemical basis of morphogenesis not fully understood?
How is genetic testing done?

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External Websites

Internet Archive - "Journal of Morphology"
National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Elements of Morphology: Introduction

Morphology

biology

Written by

Claude A. Villee

Andelot Professor of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts. Author of Biological Principles and Processes.

Claude A. Villee

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 6, 2026 •History

Morphology, in biology, the study of the size, shape, and structure of animals, plants, and microorganisms and of the relationships of their constituent parts. The term refers to the general aspects of biological form and arrangement of the parts of a plant or an animal. The term anatomy also refers to the study of biological structure but usually suggests study of the details of either gross or microscopic structure. In practice, however, the two terms...

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