ABSTRACT
As with all specialized scientic endeavors, the elds of developmental biology and developmental pathology have built long lists of jargon to describe the essential structures, functions, and processes that are encountered in young animals. Individuals who engage in the acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of normal features and developmental lesions must have a ready command of the terminology required to ensure that information is communicated precisely to persons who seek to gain insights from developmental pathology studies. Correct terminology is also essential to permit a proper statistical analysis; calculations performed using a nonspecic term (e.g., neural tube defect) will require a different analysis relative to calculations made using classes dened by more discrete terms (anencephaly, exencephaly, encephalocele, etc.). The terms in this chapter have been drawn from multiple sources, including medical dictionaries1,5 and published committee reports regarding preferred nomenclature.4,6 Mouse developmental pathology researchers also should seek to glean new terms that they encounter in the scientic literature.
