Moulting, also known as ecdysis, is a biological process involving the shedding of an organism's outer cuticle or exoskeleton. This mechanism is fundamentally essential for growth and development in many arthropods and certain other groups of invertebrates. The process requires the secretion of a new, larger layer of material beneath the old structure, which must then be safely separated and discarded. Successful molting is tightly regulated by complex internal biochemical and hormonal signals, making it a critical yet vulnerable life stage.