Phases of the Life Cycle

Every organism's life passes through three distinct phases. The juvenile phase, also called the vegetative phase, is the span of pure growth between an individual's birth and the point at which it reaches reproductive maturity. During the reproductive phase (or maturity phase) that follows, the organism actually reproduces, and its own offspring in turn grow through to their own maturity. Once the reproductive phase ends, the organism enters the senescent phase, during which degenerative changes set in throughout the structure and functioning of its body. …