: The process begins at fertilization [15]. For many species, this includes critical stages like cleavage, gastrulation (the formation of cell layers), and organogenesis [9].
: Our emotional systems are "constructed" through cultural and environmental interactions [3]. Some theories, like those rooted in African indigenous views, see ontogenesis as a journey through spiritual, ancestral, and social selfhood [13, 27]. ontogenesis
Ontogenesis, derived from the Greek onto ("being") and genesis ("origin") [28], is the sweeping "story" of how a single cell transforms into a complex, mature individual [15, 25]. It encompasses the entire physical, psychological, and behavioral development of an organism throughout its lifespan [25]. The Biological Story: From Zygote to Adult : The process begins at fertilization [15]