Why Frogs Undergo Metamorphosis but Mammals Like Humans Do Not – Explained for 11-Year-Olds

Great question! Both frogs and humans have the basic life cycle stages: birth, growth, reproduction, and death. But frogs go through a special process called metamorphosis, while humans and other mammals don’t. Let's see why!

What is Metamorphosis?

Metamorphosis means a big change in the shape and body of an animal as it grows from baby to adult. For example, a frog starts life as a tadpole that lives in water and has gills to breathe underwater. Then it changes into an adult frog that can live on land and breathe with lungs.

Why Do Frogs Undergo Metamorphosis?

• Frogs start life living in water and need gills to breathe there. But as adults, they live on land and need lungs to breathe air.
• Their body changes a lot to help them survive in both water and land environments.
• This big change helps them live better in their specific habitats.

Why Don’t Humans Go Through Metamorphosis?

• Humans (and other mammals) already have lungs and can breathe air from the moment they are born. So, their body doesn’t need to change that much.
• Human babies look like smaller versions of adults; they just grow bigger and develop skills over time.
• Instead of changing body parts, we slowly grow and mature.

Summary

So, frogs undergo metamorphosis because they live in different environments during their life and need big body changes to survive. Mammals like humans live mostly on land with lungs from the start, so they don’t need to dramatically change their bodies — they just grow up gradually!