Lifecycle stages are fundamentally different in which one of the following processes?

Complete metamorphosis is a process characterized by distinct and fundamentally different lifecycle stages, which typically include egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Each stage has unique physical forms, behaviors, and ecological roles. For instance, the larval stage often looks entirely different from the adult stage and serves different purposes in terms of feeding and growth. During the pupal stage, the organism undergoes significant internal transformation, making it a distinct phase of development.

In contrast, gradual metamorphosis, also known as incomplete metamorphosis, involves a more continuous transition through development stages. In this process, an insect will hatch from an egg as a nymph that resembles a smaller version of the adult and gradually undergoes changes until it reaches adulthood. The nymph and adult stages have similarities, making them less fundamentally different from one another compared to the distinct transformations seen in complete metamorphosis.

Asexual reproduction, while differing from both types of metamorphosis, does not involve lifecycle stages in the same way. It produces offspring that are genetically identical to the parent without distinct developmental phases like those found in metamorphosing insects.

Thus, the key to understanding the correct answer lies in recognizing that complete metamorphosis presents the most marked differences in the lifecycle