The Human Life Cycle
Is the life cycle of a human the same as a frog? A butterfly? A cat?
Goal:
Goal:
Humans, like many animals, have bodies whose proportions and abilities change as we grow and mature. There are several main stages of human physical development. Click through the slides to learn more.
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Birth The life process begins with one fertilized egg cell. Over the next 40 weeks or so, that cell duplicates and duplicates again and again, forming specialized body parts. By the time a newborn baby is born, it will have trillions of cells in its small 5–10 pound frame. Infancy Infancy covers the first year of a child's life. During this time, the infant is dependent on its parents for everything! They learn during this stage to recognize their surroundings and communicate with those around them. Toddler During the next two years, the child is a toddler. In this stage, toddlers learn how to become more independent. They are usually walking, talking, and beginning to feed and dress themselves. Childhood This stage lasts from about age 3 to age 12. During these years, the child continues to learn. They go to school to learn how to read, write, and play with other children. They learn rules and facts about the world around them. Adolescence This stage covers the teen years. During this stage, children become even more independent. They continue to gain knowledge and skills. Sometime during this stage, the child will experience puberty. During puberty, hormones cause changes that move children to young adulthood. Children often experience mood changes and growth spurts during this time. Adulthood This stage lasts from around 18 or 20 years to old age. The adult is the physically mature human, which means he or she is able to reproduce and bear young. Most importantly, adults are socially mature. They can care for the needs of their young as well as for themselves, and they have learned how to get along in human society. We can further divide adulthood into young adults, middle-aged adults, and older adults. |
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