Evolutionary developmental biology refers to the study of how developmental processes contribute to the evolution of organisms. Synonyms for this term include evo-devo, developmental evolution, evolution, and embryology. Evo-devo is a popular term used in academia to refer to evolutionary developmental biology, as it succinctly highlights the central focus of the field. Developmental evolution encompasses the study of how development and evolutionary processes interact with one another. Evolution, on the other hand, is used more broadly to refer to the overall process of biological change over time. Finally, embryology is a related term that refers specifically to the study of how embryos develop within different organisms.