Free Worksheets, Lessons, Quizzes
Free Worksheets, Lessons, Quizzes
Noun – Reproduction
Verb – Reproduce
Species – type or kind
Survive – live alive
Extinct – died out and not existing (living) any more on Earth
Only living things can reproduce.
Plants and animals
The making of a new plant or an animal is called reproduction. Plants and animals reproduce by making same kinds of copies of themselves. These same kinds of copies can be new plants, babies, kids or youngsters.
A life cycle is a series of stages a plant or an animal goes through from when it is first formed to when it dies. The life cycle of a plant or animal happens over and over again. A life cycle can be drawn in a circle.
The life cycle of a frog
A frog’s life is divided into two main stages.
First stage
1) A tadpole hatches from eggs.
2) The tadpole breathes underwater through gills and swims like a fish.
Second stage
1) The tadpole’s body changes shape.
2) Back legs and jaws are formed.
3) Front legs and lungs are formed for jumping on land and for breathing.
4) Now the tadpole becomes an adult frog.
The life cycle of a red admiral butterfly
What is ‘Metamorphosis’?
A butterfly goes through four stages of growth from egg to adulthood. This process is known as ‘Metamorphosis’
First stage
A female butterfly lays eggs
A butterfly starts its life as an egg, laid by a female adult butterfly after mating. Butterfly eggs vary in size and shape, but most are surrounded by a protective hard shell.
Second stage
Caterpillar hatches
A caterpillar develops within the egg and then eats its way out of the shell.
Caterpillar molts (sheds its skin)
A caterpillar spends all its time eating. As it grows, the caterpillar becomes too large for its skin and molts (sheds its skin) to make new skin. Depending upon the type of butterfly, caterpillars molt four or five times.
Third stage
Pupa
When the caterpillar reaches its final size it stops feeding. The caterpillar wriggles and twists to gradually remove its old skin, revealing a new protective skin called the pupa or cocoon. Inside the pupa, the caterpillar changes from a wormlike creature into an adult butterfly.
Fourth stage
Adult butterfly
When the butterfly reaches adulthood, it leaves the pupa. It pumps blood into its wrinkled wings and expands them to their full size before flying away.
The life cycle of a jellyfish
From Encarta