The term "life cycle" refers to the stages that an organism goes through from its birth, growth and development until it reaches maturity or death. This includes all the different phases such as egg, larvae, pupa, adult etc., depending on the species of the organism in question.
For example, a butterfly starts life as an egg which hatches into a caterpillar (larval stage), then transforms into a chrysalis or pupa before emerging as an adult butterfly. This is just one example among many different species that have their own unique life cycle stages.
The term "life cycle" can also be used to describe the stages of development for organizations, products or services. In this context, it refers to the various stages a company goes through from its inception until it reaches maturity or decline and may include phases such as product development, market introduction, growth, maturity, and eventual decline.