Name and describe the stages of the human life cycle. How are these Essay

Name and describe the stages of the human life cycle. How are these stages different from what is seen in our closest relatives - Essay Example The initial phase of the human life sequence is birth. Before birth, a human being starts as a single cell. The human cells multiply and specialize into definite body parts preparing for the delivery of an infant. Birth happens after a fetus has developed for about 9 months from date fertilization (Prior, Erin and Lisa 23). The second stage of human cycle is the infancy. During this stage, the child depends entirely on others for his or her life and safety. Consequently, parents assume the duties of feeding, bathing and helping the child move from place to place. It is during this stage that the child starts learning essential concepts for surviving in the world (Sigelman and Elizabeth 28). The third stage includes the childhood that runs for about ten years. The child is mainly regarded as the toddler for the first two years after infancy. The child develops as he or she learns how to walk, talk and become independent. Primarily, persons grow attaining more freedom and responsibility as they build knowledge about selves. Furthermore, the person starts developing his or her personal intelligence and character at this stage (Ulijaszek 19). The fourth stage of the sequence corresponds to adolescence. This refers to the age between 12 to 18 years. The stage initiates with puberty where boys develop to become men and girls grow to be women. This is a very controversial stage of human cycle because the young people struggle to manage various changes occurring in their lives. The person may start experiencing growth spurts and emotional disorders emanating from the effort of search for personal identity, hormone production, and quest of higher independence. Furthermore, the human prepares for adulthood or for maturity in this stage. Consequently, the person is growing to his or her highest size and one becomes physically able to reproduce (Prior, Erin and Lisa 19). The firth stage is the adulthood that is the longest of the