Plant life cycle A flowering plant begins with a seed that is built from organic chemicals.

Flowering plants include things such as trees, shrubs, flowers and grass. Within the structure of a flowering plant, there are female and male sections which is where seeds are produced. These seeds are made up of starch to fuel the development and growth of the embryo plant (Loxley et al., 2010, p.174). Once the plant has been watered, the seed begins to germinate. Germination is the process in which the seed takes up water, expands and cracks. Once this process has occurred, a seedling will then emerge from the seed. The stem or (hypocotyl) emerges through the soil, pulling with it the first seed leaves. At this point the plant can produce its own food through a process called photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is where carbon dioxide enters the leaves through pores called stomata. These pores are located underneath the leaf. The second part of the process is underground where root hairs grow to absorb water and bring nutrients to the leaves through xylem tubes (Loxley et al., 2010, p. 151). Flower buds soon begin to grow which is when pollination occurs. Animals such as insects and birds begin to transfer pollen from the male to female part of the plant which is called fertilisation. The fertilisation process develops from a combination of genetic information to become embryos of new seeds (Swarming Technology, 2013). Animal life cycle For an embryo to develop, animals must exchange or transfer reproductive cells which is otherwise known as Gametes. Gametes are made up of the male and female reproductive cell that contains genetic material from the organism. Once the embryo has been developed, it develops into an immature form of the organism then eventually into an adult form (Loxley et al., 2010, p. 175). This transformation stage is called metamorphosis which is a biological process. Certain animals undergo metamorphosis in different ways. For instance, insects can change their physical form, structure by supernatural means where as animals such as mammals can have a striking alteration in appearance or character (Merriam-Webster 2013).