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Life Cycles

A life cycle shows the stages of growth and change that a living thing goes through from the beginning of its life until it becomes an adult.

Learn it step by step

What is a Life Cycle?

A life cycle is the pattern of stages every living thing goes through. It ensures that living things reproduce so that their own kind continues to exist.

Three-Stage Animal Life Cycles

Some animals have three stages in their life cycle: egg, young, and adult. Examples include the chicken (egg, chick, adult) and the frog (egg, tadpole, adult).

Four-Stage Animal Life Cycles

Insects like butterflies and mealworm beetles have four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. During the pupa stage, the insect rests and transforms into an adult.

AnimalNumber of StagesNames of Stages in Order
Chicken3Egg, Chick, Adult
Frog3Egg, Tadpole, Adult
Butterfly4Egg, Larva (Caterpillar), Pupa, Adult
Mealworm Beetle4Egg, Larva (Mealworm), Pupa, Adult (Beetle)
Comparison of 3-stage and 4-stage animal life cycles

Life Cycle of a Flowering Plant

A flowering plant begins its life cycle as a seed. When conditions are right, the seed germinates into a seedling, which then grows into an adult plant that produces flowers and seeds.

Comparing Young and Adult

The young of some animals resemble their parents, like a chick and an adult chicken. In contrast, the young of other animals look very different from their parents, like a caterpillar and an adult butterfly.

Look and learn

State the four stages in the life cycle of a mealworm beetle in the correct order.
  1. Recall that a beetle goes through a four-stage life cycle.
  2. The first stage starts when the adult lays an egg.
  3. The egg hatches into a larva, which is called a mealworm.
  4. The larva enters the resting stage called the pupa.
  5. Finally, the pupa emerges as an adult beetle.
  6. The correct order is: Egg, Larva, Pupa, Adult.
State one similarity and one difference between the life cycle of a frog and the life cycle of a butterfly.
  1. Count the stages: A frog has a 3-stage life cycle, while a butterfly has a 4-stage life cycle. This gives the difference.
  2. Look at how they both start: Both animals begin their life cycles as eggs. This gives the similarity.
  3. Similarity: Both life cycles start from an egg.
  4. Difference: The frog has 3 stages in its life cycle, but the butterfly has 4 stages.
A caterpillar feeds greedily on leaves, but a pupa does not eat at all. Why do these two stages have different feeding habits?
  1. Identify the role of the larva (caterpillar): It needs to eat a lot to store energy and grow quickly.
  2. Identify the role of the pupa: It does not move or feed because it is undergoing a major transformation inside a protective casing.
  3. The caterpillar eats to store energy for growth, while the pupa rests without feeding as it develops into an adult.
List the three stages in the life cycle of a flowering plant in the correct order.
  1. Identify the starting point: The life cycle begins with a seed.
  2. Identify the young stage: The seed germinates into a seedling (young plant).
  3. Identify the fully grown stage: The seedling grows into an adult plant that can produce flowers and fruits.
  4. The correct order is: Seed, Seedling, Adult plant.

Mind map

Mind map for Life Cycles.

  • 3-Stage Animals
    • Chicken (Egg, Chick, Adult)
    • Frog (Egg, Tadpole, Adult)
  • 4-Stage Animals
    • Butterfly (Egg, Caterpillar, Pupa, Adult)
    • Mealworm Beetle (Egg, Mealworm, Pupa, Adult)
  • Flowering Plants
    • Seed
    • Seedling
    • Adult Plant with Flowers
  • Why Life Cycles Matter
    • Enables growth and change
    • Ensures continuity of the species
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