This document discusses the stages of odontogenesis, or tooth development. It describes the five main stages of growth: initiation, proliferation, histodifferentiation, morphodifferentiation, and apposition. Key structures that form during these stages include the dental lamina, dental sac, dental organ comprising the inner and outer dental epithelium and stellate reticulum, and the dental papilla. Cells in these structures differentiate into formative cells that build the tooth structures, such as ameloblasts forming enamel and odontoblasts forming dentin. The shape of the tooth crown is determined during morphodifferentiation by the membrana preformativa.