metamorphosis
Sign in to savethumb|A dragonfly undergoing the final moult of its metamorphosis; in this process it transforms from its nymphal form to its adult stage
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Metamorphosis is a biological process where animals undergo dramatic physical transformations, such as when a dragonfly changes from its aquatic nymphal form into a winged adult. This process matters because it allows animals to adapt to different environments and lifestyles at different stages of their lives, increasing their survival and reproductive success.
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Article
19 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Hormonal control
- Insects
- Development and terminology
- Evolution
- Temperature-dependent metamorphosis
- Recent research
- Chordata
- Amphioxus
- Fish
- Amphibians <span class="anchor" id="amphibian_anchor"></span>
- Frogs and toads
- Salamanders
- Newts
- Caecilians
- See also
- References
- Bibliography
- External links
thumb|A dragonfly undergoing the final moult of its metamorphosis; in this process it transforms from its nymphal form to its adult stage
Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops including birth transformation or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation. Some insects, fish, amphibians, mollusks, crustaceans, cnidarians, echinoderms, and tunicates undergo metamorphosis, which is often accompanied by a change of nutrition source or behavior. Animals can be divided into species that undergo complete metamorphosis ("holometaboly"), incomplete metamorphosis ("hemimetaboly"), or no metamorphosis ("ametaboly").