Final answer:
The statement that phocomelia is a developmental anomaly where the middle segment of a limb is absent while the proximal and distal portions are intact is true. Phocomelia is related to the abnormal development of the appendicular skeleton during the embryonic stage.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement provided, "Phocomelia is a developmental anomaly in which the middle segment of a limb is absent but the proximal and distal portions are intact," is true. Phocomelia is indeed a condition where the limbs are improperly developed, and patients with this condition have a typical appearance of the upper and lower limb buds that do not form correctly.
The appendicular skeleton, which comprises the bones of the arms and legs, forms from the mesenchyme within the limb buds during embryonic development. As development progresses, the limb buds initially appear during the fourth week of development and reshape into the recognizable parts of the limbs, including the proximal, middle, and distal segments.
In phocomelia, a disruption in this process results in the absence of the middle portions of the limbs, while the proximal segments (close to the body) and distal segments (furthest from the body) remain.