Edición N°21 – Artículo 09
El ciclo de la vida: una nueva visión
The Life Cycle: A New Perspective
Autores: John Jairo Lucas España, Elio Ramírez Rubira (Unidad Educativa Fiscomisional María Auxiliadora de Esmeraldas)
Resumen
Este estudio propone una modificación al modelo del ciclo de vida biológico convencional (nacer, crecer, reproducirse y morir) para integrar la “adaptación” como una etapa esencial. A través de la revisión bibliográfica, queda claro que este mecanismo no es una respuesta ocasional de emergencia, sino un proceso constante de plasticidad fenotípica, fisiológica y conductual del cual se valen tanto plantas como animales y seres humanos.
A continuación, se examina la adaptabilidad en diversas dimensiones (evolutiva, psicológica, social y tecnológica), para luego detallar los retos propios del desarrollo humano según las distintas etapas de la vida y grupos de edad.
Finalmente, se expone las posibilidades prácticas que puede ofrecer este marco biológico a la esfera médica forense para la estimación de la edad cronológica mediante marcadores óseos y dentales.
Palabras clave: ciclo de vida, plasticidad fenotípica, homeostasis, resiliencia biológica, procesos adaptativos, reduccionismo biológico, desarrollo humano.
Abstract
This study proposes a modification to the conventional biological life cycle model (birth, growth, reproduction, and death) to incorporate “adaptation” as an essential stage. Through a review of the literature, it becomes clear that this mechanism is not an occasional emergency response, but rather a constant process of phenotypic, physiological, and behavioral plasticity that is utilized by plants, animals, and humans alike.
Next, adaptability is examined across various dimensions (evolutionary, psychological, social, and technological), followed by a detailed discussion of the challenges specific to human development according to different life stages and age groups.
Finally, the practical applications that this biological framework can offer to the field of forensic medicine for estimating chronological age using bone and dental markers are presented.
Keywords: life cycle, phenotypic plasticity, homeostasis, biological resilience, adaptive processes, biological reductionism, human development.
Edición N°21
Fecha de publicación: 02 octubre del 2026.
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