Which term describes an organism's progression through developmental stages, where form and habits may change?

• A. Life Cycle
• B. Habitat
• C. Insect
• D. Mollusk

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is the life cycle. It describes how an organism grows and changes through a series of developmental stages from birth to reproduction, and at each stage its form and habits can be different. For many organisms, these changes are dramatic—think of a butterfly: the caterpillar, the chrysalis, and the adult butterfly all look and behave very differently and have different needs and activities. Other organisms may have simpler changes, but the path through distinct stages is the common thread. Habitats are about where an organism lives, not the sequence of developmental stages. Insect and mollusk are names for types of organisms, not descriptions of developmental progression.