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. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=ykVkR7-Az_kC&pg=PT13&dq=life+cycle+of+a+chicken&hl=en&sa=X&ei=U0UUVMTdGoXN8gWEuYCQCA&ved=0CDkQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=life%20cycle%20of%20a%20chicken&f=false 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 http://www.mrsscienceteacher.com/Metamorphosis/Metamorphosis.html 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. http://garden.lovetoknow.com/garden-basics/life-cycle-bean-plant

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