Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Meckel on developmental pathology.

John M Opitz1, Rüdiger Schultka, Luminita Göbbel

  • 1Pediatrics (Medical Genetics), Human Genetics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132, USA. john.opitz@hsc.utah.edu

American Journal of Medical Genetics. Part A
|December 15, 2005
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Personal journeys to and in human genetics and dysmorphology.

American journal of medical genetics. Part A·2024
Same author

Evolution in the clinic: Maladaptive units and "minor anomalies".

American journal of medical genetics. Part A·2022
Same author

Living history biography: An afterthought.

American journal of medical genetics. Part A·2021
Same author

Jacqueline A. Noonan.

American journal of medical genetics. Part A·2020
Same author

An evolutionary and developmental biology approach to gastroschisis.

Birth defects research·2019
Same author

The Work of Becerra-Solano et al. (2008) on Amniotic Disruption-Adhesion-Mutilation (ADAM or DAB) Sequence Deserves Comment.

Fetal and pediatric pathology·2019
Same journal

Biallelic Variant in HAPLN1 is Associated With Skeletal Dysplasia With or Without Congenital Heart Disease.

American journal of medical genetics. Part A·2026
Same journal

MYH11-Related Hereditary Type 2 Visceral Myopathy in a Large Kindred: Diagnostic Odyssey With Milder Clinical Manifestations.

American journal of medical genetics. Part A·2026
Same journal

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) in Phenylketonuria: A Systematic Review of Brain Metabolism Beyond Phenylalanine.

American journal of medical genetics. Part A·2026
Same journal

Re: "Clinical Insights From a Case of Sifrim-Hitz-Weiss Syndrome With a CHD4 Variant: Expanding the Phenotypic Spectrum and Its Response to Growth Hormone Therapy".

American journal of medical genetics. Part A·2026
Same journal

Severe ADEM-Like Neuroinflammatory Disease and Cerebrovascular Fragility With Recurrent Pseudoaneurysms and Moyamoya in a Familial Germline CBL Mutation: Expanding the Clinical Phenotype.

American journal of medical genetics. Part A·2026
Same journal

Abnormal Presentation of FGFR2-Related Bent Bones Dysplasia Surviving Past the Perinatal Period in the United States.

American journal of medical genetics. Part A·2026
See all related articles

Johann Friedrich Meckel the Younger pioneered developmental biology by linking abnormal development to normal processes and identifying atavisms. His foundational work in developmental pathology and syndromology remains underappreciated.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Medical History

Background:

  • Johann Friedrich Meckel the Younger (1781-1833) was a pivotal figure in pre-modern developmental biology, influenced by his family's anatomical collections.
  • Despite initial reluctance, Meckel demonstrated exceptional talent in anatomy and zootomy, studying under Georges Cuvier in Paris.
  • He enriched comparative anatomy by studying embryonic and malformed fetuses, bridging normal and abnormal development.

Discussion:

  • Meckel was the first to correlate abnormal development with normal processes, defining vestigia (incomplete differentiation) and atavisms (malformations resembling ancestral traits).
  • His work established a three-fold parallelism between the scala naturae, normal ontogeny, and malformations, positioning him as an early recapitulationist.
  • He introduced concepts of primary and secondary malformations, heredity in congenital anomalies, and laid groundwork for syndromology and developmental pathology.

Related Experiment Videos

Key Insights:

  • Meckel is recognized for the Meckel syndrome and cartilage, and correctly interpreting the developmental nature of Meckel's diverticulum.
  • His lesser-known contributions include the concept of primary/secondary malformations, heredity in congenital anomalies, and understanding pleiotropy and heterogeneity.
  • He is considered the father of syndromology and developmental pathology, though his work predated cell theory and modern embryology.

Outlook:

  • Meckel's inability to integrate cell theory and contemporary embryological insights limited his full understanding of homology and evolutionary descent.
  • His foundational work in developmental biology and pathology significantly influenced later scientific thought, though often uncredited.
  • Re-evaluating Meckel's contributions offers a deeper understanding of the historical development of evolutionary and developmental biology.