Science Ch. 3: "Life Cycles"

Life Cycle

A series of changes that occur during the lifetime of all living things

Embryo

A plant or animal in the earliest stages of development

Life Span

The length of time it takes for an individual organism to complete its life cycle

Germinate

The process in which a seed begins to grow into a new plant

Metamorphosis

The process in which some organisms change form in different stages of their life cycles

Nymph

The second stage of an insect as it goes through incomplete metamorphosis

Larva

The wormlike form that hatches from an egg. The second stage of an organism that goes through complete metamorphosis

Inherit

To receive traits from parents

Trait

A feature or characteristic of a living thing (like eye color, hair color, shape of nose)

Adult

A fully grown, mature organism

Egg

The first stage in the life cycle of most animals