Life Sciences

Chick Embryo

The stages in the development of a chick embryo from the fertilized egg to chicks can seen in this exhibit. While there are many processes occurring at the same time, progress is gradual as cells multiply, specialize, and shape the organism. An embryo starts as a single cell, the fertilized egg. About three hours after fertilization, the egg begins to divide, producing many more cells. As the cells divide, they also differentiate, becoming specialized in form and function. These specialized cells eventually move to different areas of the embryo to form tissues, organs, and structures that make up the fully developed chicken.