Life cycle of an insect

A majority of insects hatch eggs that have been laid by the female. There are only a few types of insects that produce live young. There are two types of insect lifecycles; complete metamorphosis and incomplete metamorphosis. Complete metamorphosis (otherwise known as holometabolous) is made up of four distinct stages: egg, larva, pupa then adult. During the larva stage, the insect grows and moults several times before the insect reaches the pupa stage (Museum of Victoria, 2010). At the pupa stage, the insect undergoes a significant change where they emerge as an adult. This type of metamorphosis gives these insects an enormous survival advantage as food sources and predators are distinctly different at each of these stages. Incomplete metamorphosis (otherwise known as hemimetabolous) is made up of three stages: egg, nymph and adult. Eggs can be laid singly or in batches, normally close to food sources for the nymphs to feed from (Parish, 2008, p. 52). As the egg develops, the nymph inside the egg bear a tooth like structure which enables them to burst the egg and escape from the egg. It is now when the bug or (nymph) begins to shed (moult) their skin. During the moulting stage, the nymph will develop wing buds and reproductive organs and will moult around approximately five times. At each successive moult, the bug starts to grow bigger and begins to look more and more like an adult. On the final moult the nymph is now a bug and can make use of its wings and reproductive organs.

Complete Metamorphosis

Incomplete Metamorphosis

Life cycle of a plant

Flowering plants develop through four stages during their life cycle. The four stages include germination, growth, reproduction and death. During the germination and growth stage, the seed moves through its own four stages of growth before it starts to develop leaves or the plumule (plants first shoot). The seed absorbs water where chemicals then convert the starchy food store into glucose for growth development. The plants first root (otherwise known as the radicle) pushes through the testa (protective casing around the seed) into the soil to absorb water and minerals from the soil (Wallace, 2006, p. 8). The plumule begins to grow up towards the surface with a hooked stalk to protect the growing tip as it pushes through. Once the plumule has pierced the surface, it begins to grow leaves and make food by photosynthesis. Photosynthesis occurs in the green leaves of plants, in cell structures called chloroplasts. Carbon dioxide, air, water and sunlight produce food substances by absorbing certain pigments to create sugars (Loxley et al,. 2010, p. 315). There are male and female cells within a flowering plant that rely on eggs and pollen to sexually produce. When a pollen grain and egg cell combines they create Zygote (a new cell) (ed. McKeever, 1993). Pollen can be carried by wind, water, insects and animals. Once the egg and pollen combine in the ovary of the flower, the fertilized egg or ovule, develops into a seed (Sheehan. T, 2008, p. 22)

Images from: http://www.berghuis.co.nz/abiator/patana/5t/science/lifecycles.swf