Scientifically, the term buffalo is incorrect for the North American species; its proper Latin name is Bison bison. However, common usage has made the term buffalo an acceptable synonym for the American bison. (from The American Buffalo in Transition, by J. Albert Rorabacher.).
Life cycle. Life cycle, in biology, the series of changes that the members of a species undergo as they pass from the beginning of a given developmental stage to the inception of that same developmental stage in a subsequent generation.
The life cycle of a butterfly. The life cycle of a butterfly. The definition of a life cycle is the series of changes that happen to a living creature over the course of its lifetime. An example of life cycle is a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.