Lesson 26: Metamorphosis
Life cycles vary in their stages, timing, and changes in body form. Frogs and insects introduce metamorphosis, alongside differences between individuals and the effects of environmental conditions.
Key Ideas
- Metamorphosis is a major change in body form as an animal grows. Butterflies and frogs go through it.
- A young animal can look very different from its adult form and still be the same kind of animal.
- Individuals of the same species can differ. Traits inherited from parents and conditions during life can both affect these differences.
- Some animals have many young and give little care. Others have fewer young and give more care. The needs and survival of the young vary.
- Life cycles connect one generation to the next through growth and reproduction, although not every individual survives or reproduces.
Vocabulary
- Metamorphosis: A major change in body form during an animal’s life cycle.
- Larva: A young organism that looks and acts very differently from the adult form (example: a caterpillar).
- Pupa: A stage in some insects where the larva transforms into the adult form inside a protective case.
- Dormant: Alive but with growth or activity slowed or paused.
Discussion Questions
- Why might a caterpillar and a butterfly look so different even though they are the same species?
- How does metamorphosis help an organism survive? Why might it be useful for different life stages to have different bodies or diets?
- What are some other examples of animals that look very different at different stages of their life cycle?
- Why might temperature, daylight, or food availability change how quickly an organism grows or develops?
- If two animals of the same species look different, how could you figure out whether the difference is because of their age, sex, or environment?