Final answer:
F.C. Steward and colleagues used a carrot in the 1950s to demonstrate that differentiated somatic cells can develop into a full-grown organism through somatic embryogenesis, contributing significantly to the field of developmental biology and regenerative medicine.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the 1950s, F.C. Steward and his co-workers used a plant, specifically a carrot, to test the hypothesis that differentiated somatic cells could be induced into developing into a full-grown organism. This experiment is a landmark in the field of developmental biology because it demonstrated the concept of somatic embryogenesis, where a somatic cell can revert to a pluripotent state and give rise to a complete, new organism, much like the zygote does in natural embryogenesis. It was a profound demonstration that even specialized cells contain all the necessary genetic information to develop into an entire organism, and under the right conditions, this developmental potential can be unlocked.
The research conducted by Steward helped pave the way for future discoveries in regenerative medicine and cloning technologies. The concept that somatic cells harbor the same genetic information as a zygote (which can develop into a new organism) was built upon by later experiments, such as those performed by John Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka, which further solidified the understanding of the developmental potential of cells.