There are 8 stages in human life cycle. A life cycle is defined as the cycle of an organism's growth, reproduction and eventual death. The human life cycle

There are 8 stages in human life cycle. A life cycle is defined as the cycle of an organism's growth, reproduction and eventual death. The human life cycle refers to humankind's journey from the stages of fertilization until the cycle concludes in their deaths. In this cycle human’s not only develop in height or weight, they also develop their social, intellectual and emotional skills across their life span.

The first stage of human life cycle is conception. Conception is the process of becoming pregnant. Most women ovulate each month; this is when an egg is released by the ovaries. For women with a 28-day menstrual cycle, ovulation typically occurs on day 14. It the 9 months period before the birth, from this period until birth the physical development of body is formed. This includes the development of organs, muscles and skin.

Pregnancy is the second stage of human cycle. It is the 9 months period to birth when the embryo and foetus meets and develop. In the first month the sperm meets the egg and by the end of 4 week the eggs get fertilized and become an organized ball of cells and the embryo has implanted into the wall of your uterus. In the second month a baby starts to form by the heart, by the end of week 6 you get to see the heartbeat of the baby. At 8 weeks, the embryo is about a half an inch long with a head, arms and legs and a tail. The fingers have started to form and the organ systems like kidneys, brain and eyes are developing as well. In the third month the embryo stage is considered a foetus and looks like a baby. The umbilical cord has formed by this month and the placenta starts functioning, Baby starts to move his arms and legs and the sex organs begin to differentiate. In the 4th month most of the baby’s organs are formed and at this point they grow and get matured and the baby starts to gain weight and by 16 weeks, the baby has eyelids, toe and fingernails, an activity schedule that includes naps and the ability to suck and swallow. In these four weeks, the baby grows from about 1 to about 4 ounces, and starts sensing sounds and light. In the fifth month the sex of the baby can be determined and baby’s movements become noticeable. In the 6 month baby grows to almost a foot long and his senses become more developed. The eyes can now open and blink and the ears can hear your voice, heartbeat, breathing and stomach rumbles. In the 7th month baby's eyes are open and are able to cry. Baby may become very active now and others may be able to see the movements. Baby may have hiccups which will feel like a jumpy movement. Increase in body fat and her bones are fully developed now. By the end of this month, the baby is approximately 11 inches long and weighs around 3-3 1/2 pounds. In the 8th month of your pregnancy, there is not a whole lot of new development. However, your baby is growing and maturing and preparing for life outside the womb. Your baby sleeps most of the time now and has periods of REM sleep. Baby is becoming increasingly cramped for space, but is still very active. Your baby is approximately 13 inches long and weighs around 5-6 pounds at the end of this month. In the 9th month, which actually extends a little further than 9 calendar months, baby is preparing for birth. The baby spends a lot of time resting, but should still have plenty of active periods. Baby should be facing head down in preparation for birth. Babies’ weight and length vary considerably at birth, but a typical range would be between 7-8 pounds and 19-21 inches in length.

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The next stage is the birth and infancy stage from 0 – 3 years throughout these years of life, the baby will undergo rapid social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. The baby will start recognize your face and imitate gestures you make, such as smiling or sticking out your tongue. Baby will begin to crawl, and later walk. Crawling is a skill that happens between 8 to 9 months of age. By the time a baby reaches his first birthday, he begins to support large amounts of weight and pulls himself up to his feet standing. This is the beginning of walking. Babies do not start their walking milestone with perfect gait. There is much waddling and toe walking. The tendency for the baby's legs to bow out will usually correct itself by 3 years of age. As children grow, they need to practice the many skills that lead to gross motor control by age 2, outdoor activities that encourage walking, running, jumping, and throwing offer opportunities to improve their balance and coordination. As whole body coordination improves, children of this age can now peddle and steer a tricycle. They can also kick a larger ball placed directly in front of their bodies.

Childhood (4 – 9 years) is the next stage in the human life cycle. At this stage motor skills begin to become more apparent. Using hands to eat independently with a spoon is a sign of developing fine motor skills. Encourage drawing with a variety of items, such as crayons, paint and chalk, to improve the grasp of an object. Early childhood is still a time of tremendous physical changes. During this period, children's bodies change proportions and they start to look more like adults than babies. Arms and legs stretch to catch up and balance out the head and trunk. Children also begin to lose their "baby fat" as they develop sleeker, straighter bodies with the strong muscles necessary for work and play. During early childhood, children continue to expand their repertoire of physical skills, adding to those that were mastered during infancy. Throughout this stage, girls tend to develop slightly faster than boys. By ages 4 to 9, children can go up and down the stairs alone in the adult fashion (i.e., taking one step at a time). Their running continues to smooth out and increase in speed. Children of this age can also skip and add spin to their throws. They also have more control when riding their tricycles (or bicycles), and can drive them faster. During ages 5 to 6, young children continue to refine earlier skills. They're running even faster and can start to ride bicycles with training wheels for added stability. In addition, they can step sideways. Children of this age begin mastering new forms of physical play such as the jungle gym, and begin to use the see-saw, slide, and swing on their own. They often start jumping rope, skating, hitting balls with bats, and so on. Many children of this age enjoy learning to play organized sports such as soccer, basketball, t-ball or swimming. In addition, 5 to 6 year olds often like to participate in physical extracurricular activities such as karate, gymnastics, or dance. Children continue to refine and improve their gross motor skills through age 7 and beyond.

The next stage is adolescence (10-18 years) is characterized by dramatic physical changes moving the individual from childhood into physical maturity. Girls may begin to develop breast buds as early as 8 years old, with full breast development achieved anywhere from 12 to 18 years. Pubic hair growth as well as armpit and leg hair, typically begins at about age 9 or 10, and reaches adult distribution patterns at about 13 to 14 years. Menarche (the beginning of menstrual periods) typically occurs about 2 years after initial pubescent changes are noted. It may occur as early as 10 years, or as late as 15 years, with the average in the UK being about 12.5 years. A rapid growth in height occurs for girls between the ages of about 9.5 and 14.5 years, peaking somewhere around 12 years. Boys may begin to notice enlargement of the testicles and scrotum as early as 9 years of age, followed closely by lengthening of the penis. Adult size and shape of the genitals is typically reached by age 16 to 17 years. Pubic hair growth -- as well as armpit, leg, chest, and facial hair -- begins in boys at about age 12, and reaches adult distribution patterns at about 15 to 16 years. A rapid growth in height occurs for boys between the ages of about 10.5 to 11 and 16 to 18, peaking around age 14. Puberty is not marked with a sudden incident in boys, as it is with the onset of menstruation in girls. The appearance of regular wet dreams marks the onset of puberty in boys and typically occurs between the ages of 13 and 17 years, with the average about 14.5 years. Voice changes in boys typically occur along with penile growth, and the occurrence of nocturnal emissions occurs with the peak of the height spurt.

Adulthood is the next stage of human life cycle. It is from the age of 18 to 65 years. In this stage, a person may continue to add a bit of height and weight to her teenage frame. The body continues to undergo significant hormonal changes. These changes may make beards grow a bit thicker and the voice to become slightly deeper and richer. This is the period in which women usually have children, so it is the time in which women gain a little weight and finish their full breast development. Middle adulthood is the second stage of adulthood in which one of the most noticeable changes is loss of elasticity in the skin, especially in the face. This results in lines and wrinkles that are seen as one of the first signs of aging. Men usually gain weight in the abdominal region, while women gain weight in the hips and thighs. Strength and flexibility in both genders wane. Women usually experience hormonal changes during this period that result in the loss of the ability to reproduce, a process called menopause. Both genders may experience greying of the hair or the hair may thin. Late adulthood is the final stage of physical change. The skin continues to lose elasticity as it did in middle adulthood and the result is deeper lines and wrinkles. Age spots, or brown spots on the skin, often form. Eyesight deteriorates, which causes many seniors to need glasses. Reaction time also slows.

In the final stage of human life the age is variable. Body become weaker and the old power they had is no longer existent. Your sense of balance becomes impaired and some have an impairment of mobility. The taste and smell receptors deteriorate, vision can be further impaired particularly because the lens of the eye starts to block the light. This can be forerunner of the cataracts. Night vision is not as good as it used to be. You fail to hear high pitched notes and they become partially deaf. There is a general reduction in the skins sensitivity, so that we are susceptible to burn and hypothermia. This is when the body temperature falls too low. Some people do not realize they are cold and this can be life threatening. The muscles that help pass food down our digestive tract are weaker. Constipation is a common problem the heart is less effective and efficient at pumping the blood around the body, so their bodily tissues do not function properly.