Topic 1 : Human life cycle

Human nature

Birth, aging, sickness and death are parts of human nature which no one can escape, thus it is important to learn and act in a careful manner.

1. Birth

Every human offspring is conceived from the mating of their father and mother who are male and female, respectively. Normally, women are pregnant for approximately 9 months before giving birth to an infant. After birth the infant will develop through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood into elderly successively. The human body will change according to the age.

2. Aging

As the body grows older, its structure will change noticeably, for example in an elderly stage, the body will deteriorate in such a way that the skin will wrinkle and the movement of body parts becomes slow and difficult. Most people call them “senior people”.

3. Sickness

The majority of sicknesses in humans occur when a good healthy lifestyle is not regularly maintained. Many people become sick, some lightly, others severely so they have to be monitored by a doctor. If symptoms are left untreated, the body will become weak, and thus there is a high chance that the body will get infected, compared to a person who maintains a good healthy lifestyle.

4. Death

Death is inevitable and nobody can avoid it. When there is a birth, death will follow. However, death happens when the individuals reach a particular age as their bodies deteriorate naturally. Therefore, at a younger age, it is important to maintain good health choices and spend the daily life without being careless.

Growth and development

Growth and development in humans begin when the human is born. Growth and development can be categorized into 5 stages; each stage has its own characteristics.

Growth means the successive augmentation in body shape, size, bone structure, muscle and every organ in the body. Development refers to the changing process in the every part of the human body, physically and mentally, throughout the lifespan. These processes enable the body to advance through the 5 stages as followed:

1. Infancy –From birth to 2 years old

An infant body develops twice as fast during the first year after birth. Later on, the development rate will only be 30 percent, but he/she will continue to grow through following the years. Based on the development of the infant, he/she possesses basic skills such as the ability to identify, search, understand, and adapt to the surrounding environment. An infant also knows how use specific organs to sense specific things. However, an infant requires very special care compared to the later stages in development.

2. Childhood-3 to 12 years old

The majority of developments at this stage involve bone structure, muscle growth andcoordination between internal systems. At this age sexual dimorphism will be recognized. Childhood can be divided into 3 stages as followed:

2.1 Early childhood (3-5 years old)

A child can communicate, use language, wash his/her hands, be able to identify the surrounding area, is curious and always will experiment with objects.

2.2 Middle childhood (6-9 years old)

A child will begin his/her education. They will learn to adapt to and socialize with strangers at school, understand the school regulations, learn to make decisions, and be responsible for given tasks.

2.3 Late childhood (10-12 years old)

Boys and girls develop very distinctive behaviors and interests at this stage. Girls are slightly more mature than boys. They also learn how to use language more efficiently, follow instructions, and learn appropriate roles that fit to their gender. At this age, they usually interact within their own gender group.

3. Adolescence (13 -20 years old)

For young people, this age is a turning point in life, since many psychological and physiological developments happen. He/she must be able to adapt to new environments, including a new society. Sometimes, these changes create problems, especially sexual problems, as they start to have sexual arousal towards the opposite sex, or thinking about their future, career, and family. They also become curios about many topics and are eager to explore and express their own opinions. Sometimes, teenagers choose to express their opinions inappropriately, which may cause problems later on. Guardians and parents should advise them appropriately.

4. Adulthood (21-60 years old)

At this age, body growth and development will be complete; the body has it’s final shape and proportions and a healthy structure. However, the physical and psychological developments towards adults differ from person to person; for example, the eldest child might have an urge to look after younger siblings which may effect them to mature faster; orphans are likely to mature faster than children raised by parents. Thus the stage of development may be different in each adult, i.e interests, perceptions, and social values - especially towards career, partner, and family. At this age, the body has strength and the ability to perform tasks at hand effectively. This is a time where an individual has to act responsibly towards their family and their country.

5. Seniority (60 years and older)

Body, brain, mind, and emotions start to deteriorate at this stage. Consequently, the elderly unique health problems compared to other age groups, such as short-term memory loss. However, they still have solid long-term memories, suitable to be advisors, because their accumulated experiences and knowledge can guide the younger generations. At this age, the elderly may be short tempered, easily stressed and injured.

Page updated

Report abuse