What term describes the developmental process in which an organism experiences distinct changes in form?

The term that describes the developmental process in which an organism experiences distinct changes in form is metamorphosis. This process is characterized by a series of developmental stages that lead to significant morphological changes, such as the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly or a tadpole into a frog. During metamorphosis, the organism may undergo not just physical changes, but also alterations in behavior and habitat utilization, which are crucial for its survival and reproductive success.

In contrast, transformation generally refers to a change in form but lacks the specific context of biological development and life cycles that metamorphosis entails. Evolution, on the other hand, describes the gradual change in inherited traits of a population over time through natural selection and does not focus specifically on the individual developmental stages. Adaptation involves changes that improve the fitness of an organism in its environment, which may result from evolutionary processes rather than immediate developmental transformations. Thus, metamorphosis is the specific term that accurately captures the essence of distinct and dramatic changes in form during development.