Transcript Complete animal metamorphosis, incomplete metamorphosis and

Complete animal
metamorphosis, incomplete
metamorphosis and the life cycle
of a bean plant.
What is Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis is the transformation that occurs in the life
cycle of many arthropods from egg through the larval and
pupal stages to the adult form (imago). It also occurs in
amphibians which turn from tadpoles into adults.
Arthropods are the largest and most successful invertebrates
and have segmented bodies, jointed legs, and a hard
exoskeleton.
Imago is the sexually mature adult form of the arthropod. Its
appearance is often very different from the larval or pupal
stages.
Prescott, C. (2008). Oxford Study Science Dictionary (3rd ed). Melbourne, VIC, Australia:
Oxford University Press.
Complete Animal Metamorphosis
Chickens go through complete metamorphosis which means they completely change
during the life cycle. The life cycle of a chicken consists of three stages, egg (hatching) –
young – adult.
The egg is produced after being fertilised by a rooster, the egg is then incubated for 21
days before hatching into a chick, then chick then grows into the young adult before
growing into a fully developed hen. The hen the continues the metamorphosis stage by
breeding and reproducing their own eggs.
The following images displays how the chicken changes completely throughout it’s life
cycle, from egg to adult.
Incomplete Metamorphosis
Locusts are insects belonging to the order Orthoptera. They are identical in appearance to
grasshoppers with which they share the family Acrididae. Locusts undergo incomplete
metamorphosis. Incomplete metamorphosis only has three life cycle stages: egg, nymph, and
adult. The nymph looks similar to, but is a smaller version of, the adult. The nymph is also
wingless (Australian Government Department of Agriculture 2014) .
Locust Life Cycle
The following image shows the life cycle of a locust through three stages of change in their life
cycle of incomplete metamorphosis. The first stage is the egg – nymph – adult. There is no pupal
stage in an incomplete metamorphosis.
Life Cycle of a Bean Plant
Bean plants have a defined life cycle containing six different stages:
1.Seed
2.Germination
3.Growth
4.Reproduction/flowering
5. Pollination
6. Bean stage
The bean seed begins the life cycle. The bean seeds germinate or sprout when water dissolves or
cracks open the hard casing around the seed. Warmth also speeds the process of germination along.
After the seed germinates and the roots grow, the bean plant begins to push out a single stem. As the
stem emerges from the soil, two little leaves emerge. The first leaves to emerge from a bean plant do
not look like the typical bean plant leaves. They're rounded, and help the plant grow quickly into a
strong, mature plant.
The flowering male and female plants then reproduce creating pollen for the pollination stage. During
the pollination phase it is the female plant that is pollinated by bees, other insects and also the wind.
Once the flowering female plant has been pollinated the flower then begins to produce the bean.
When the bean has reached its full size the vegetable is ready for harvest and consumption.
References
Australian Government Department of Agriculture (2014) Lifecycle of a locust. Retrieved from
http://www.daff.gov.au/animal-plant-health/locusts/about/about_locusts/lifecycle
Prescott, C. (2008). Oxford Study Science Dictionary (3rd ed). Melbourne, VIC, Australia: Oxford
University Press.
Locust retrieved from
http://community.fortunecity.ws/greenfield/flamingo/671/past/animals/locust.htm