The React component lifecycle is the sequence of events that happens from the creation of a component to its deletion, including updates in between. This lifecycle consists of different phases: Initialization, Mounting, Updating, Unmounting, and Error Handling, each associated with specific lifecycle methods.

Mounting Phase:

The mounting phase occurs when a component is instantiated and inserted into the DOM for the first time. This phase includes the following lifecycle methods:
constructor(): Initializes the state and binds event handlers.
static getDerivedStateFromProps(): Syncs state with props.
render(): Returns the JSX to render.
componentDidMount(): Invoked once the component is mounted and ready.

Updating Phase:

The updating phase is triggered whenever there are changes to the state or props. During this phase, the initial virtual DOM and the updated virtual DOM are compared (diffing), and only the changed parts are merged into the actual DOM. Lifecycle methods involved in this phase include:
static getDerivedStateFromProps(): Called when state or props change.
shouldComponentUpdate(): Determines if the component should re-render.
render(): Re-renders the component.
getSnapshotBeforeUpdate(): Captures some information before the DOM is updated.
componentDidUpdate(): Invoked after the component updates.

Unmounting Phase:

The unmounting phase occurs when a component is removed from the DOM. This phase has a single lifecycle method:
componentWillUnmount(): Called immediately before the component is destroyed and unmounted.

Error Handling Phase:

Error boundaries in React handle errors that occur during the rendering process, in lifecycle methods, and constructors of the whole tree. This phase includes:
componentDidCatch(): Catches errors in rendering and lifecycle methods.