6.

Life Processes

• Any series of actions that are necessary for

living are called Life Processes.

• Breathing
• Movement
• Growing
• Eating
• Feeling
• Blood circulation etc
 Life Processes to discuss
1. Nutrition
2. Respiration
3. Transportation
4. Excretion
Q . Why is diffusion insufficient to meet oxygen
requirements of multi-cellular organisms like
humans ?
A - Multicellular organisms have complex body
design, hence not all cells of the body are in
contact with the outer environment.
Q. What are the outside raw materials used for
by an organism ?
A - Food -> energy ; Oxygen -> respiration ;
Water -> proper digestion of food & other
functions.
Nutrition

Energy is needed
for everything.
• Process of taking in food & using it to generate
energy is called Nutrition.
• Everyone requires energy, but consume it in
different ways.
1. Autotrophic Nutrition
2. Heterotrophic Nutrition

 Autotrophs - prepare their own food

 Heterotrophs - depend on others/Autotrophs
(directly or indirectly).
 Autotrophic Nutrition
• Energy in Autotrophs is fulfilled by
Photosynthesis.
• It’s a process by which a plant produces its
food by converting L.E into C.E.
• “Plants make their own food in presence of
CO2, water, sunlight and chlorophyll.”
• Ex – Green plants, Cyanobacteria (blue-green
algae)
• Reactant H2O - soil
• Reactant CO2 - Air
• Product H2O – from oxygen atoms in CO2
• Product Oxygen – from H2O

• Important events during Photosynthesis :

– Absorption of light energy by Chlorophyll.
– Conversion of L.E to C.E (in Chloroplast).
– H2O (water) molecule splits into H and 0.
(photolysis)
– Reduction of C02 in Carbohydrates.
Q. Where are stomata present in leaves ?
A . Epidermis
Q. Which epidermis (upper/lower) ?
A. Both
Q. Why are numerous stomata present in the lower/underside
of leaves ?
A. To avoid Transpiration
Q. Why Transpiration occurs ?
A. Plants take in more water than needed, it’s a way of getting
rid of excess water.
Q. Where are stomata present except leaves ?
A. Stem (not in all plants)
Functions :
1. Regulate gas exchange between plant & environment
2. Control of water loss by changing the size of stomatal pores

Water enters – guard cells swell – pores open

Lose water/water moves out – guard cells shrinks - pores close

When Guard cells open, plant takes CO2 needed for photosynthesis.
 Photosynthesis in Desert Plants
• Plants found in dry condition or deserts, and are
adapted to low-moisture environment are called
Xeric plants.
• In xeric plants, Stomata open at night.
- CO2 is taken in at night
- Roots also take up water from soil
- An “intermediate” is prepared (Malic Acid)

- During day, with the help of sunlight, Malic Acid is

converted into Glucose.
- NOT NECESSARY THAT THE WHOLE
PHOTOSYNTHESIS IS COMPLETED IN ONE GO
Q. Where are Chlorophyll present in Xeric plants ?
A. Stem

Q. Does every plant perform photosynthesis ?

A. No

Q. Which type of plant do not perform

photosynthesis ?
A. Parasitic plants, because they lack chlorophyll
and feed on other plants.

Q. How do they take up the nutrients ?

A. They have a special organ called Haustoria, it
infiltrates into host plant’s tissues and extracts
water & nutrients.
 Heterotrophic Nutrition
• Mode of nutrition where organism is
depended upon others (autotrophs – directly
or indirectly).
• It is seen in Humans, animals and a few plants.
 Types of Heterotrophic Nutrition
Saprophytic Parasitic Holozoic
(sapro – “rotten”) (holo - “whole”)
Feed on dead/decay Nutrition takes place inside
matters. the body of the organism.
Feed in/on host organism.
(Digest outside; no proper (Digest inside; proper
digestive system) digestive system)
Ex – Fungi, Mushroom, Ex - Tapeworm and Ex – Humans, Amoeba
Yeast etc Plasmodium (in)
Lice, Leech (on)
Cuscata (plant)
Nutrition in Unicellular M.O (Amoeba)
In Amoeba,
b) Food is taken by Pseudopodia –
c) food vacuole is formed which
breaks complex substance to
simpler ones – (d) diffuses into
cytoplasm – undigested food is
thrown out.
1. Ingestion (intake of food)
2. Digestion (breaking food into simple
form)
3. Absorption (useful food absorbed)
4. Assimilation (food utilized for
developing)
5. Egestion (unabsorbed/undigested food
thrown out)
Nutrition in Humans
 Human Digestive System

Alimentary Canal Associated

(organs through which food Glands/Organs
actually passes through) (food doesn’t enter, but they help
in digestion)
1. Mouth (Buccal Cavity) 1. Salivary Glands
2. Oesophagus 2. Liver
3. Stomach 3. Pancreas
4. Small intestine
5. Large intestine
6. Anus
 Definition of “Glands” and “Enzymes”

Glands – organs which make one or more

chemical substances for our body to use, such
as hormones, saliva, etc.

Enzymes – proteins (mostly) that help to speed

up the chemical reaction in our body, for ex. –
Pepsin, amylase etc.
• Food is ingested
• Crushed by teeth
• Food is wetted with saliva
• Food is mixed with saliva with Tongue.

• Mouth has Salivary Gland

releases

Saliva
has

Salivary Amylase
(breaks complex Carbohydrates into simpler sugars)
• Broken food travels through Oesophagus
– it has Peristaltic movement (rhythmic contraction
and relaxation of muscles to push food down)
• Food travels down

• Food moves into the Stomach

– Stomach has Gastric Gland. It releases -
• HCl (creates acidic medium for Pepsin)
• Pepsin (digests/breaks Proteins into Amino Acids)
• Mucus (lining which protects stomach from HCl )
• Exit of food by Sphincter muscle.
• Food enters into Small Intestine (S.I)
It is called “Site of Complete Digestion”
Largest part of Alimentary canal
Herbivores need longer S.I than carnivores because Cellulose
takes longer to digest. Carnivores have shorter S.I as meat is
easily digested.
– Secretions from Pancreas and Liver enter the S.I
• Pancreas - Pancreatic juice ; Liver - Bile juice
– Pancreatic juice has
• Trypsin - digests Proteins into Amino acids
• Lipase - digests Fats into fatty acids and Glycerol
• Amylase - digests Carbohydrates into Glucose
– Bile juice has Bile salts
• Bile salt helps in
– Fat Emulsification (breakdown of large fat molecules
into small fat molecules
– Making the medium Alkaline (basic)
• S.I has Villi, which helps in Absorption of food by
increasing the surface area.
– Villi is connected to blood capillaries, where the
absorbed food is transported to the whole body.
• If the food is still not digested, S.I has Intestinal juice
which helps in digestion
• Undigested food reaches the Large intestine (L.I),
where water is absorbed by the walls of L.I
• Undigested/unabsorbed food is removed via Anus.
 Respiration
• Process of releasing energy from food
(glucose) is called Respiration

Breathing Respiration
Inhale and exhale of air Breaking of glucose for
energy
In lungs In cells

physical Chemical

No energy Energy (ATP)

• Usually, there are 2 types of Respiration
Aerobic Anaerobic
Oxygen required Oxygen not required
Occurs in Cytoplasm & Occurs only in Cytoplasm
Mitochondria
Complete breakdown of Incomplete breakdown of
Glucose Glucose
More energy released Less energy released

• Cells have Glucose, and it has energy trapped in it.

• Cells release energy (in form of ATP) from Glucose
with the help of Oxygen.
Due to water, ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) is converted to ADP
(Adenosine Diphosphate) and a single inorganic phosphate + Energy
released
 Breathing in Humans

Air – nostrils – filtered by fine hair (cilia) – travels to Pharynx (hollow tube and common
passage) and Larynx (voice box) – into lungs (has Rings of Cartilage to prevent collapse
of air passage) – lungs has tiny sacs in Bronchioles called Alveoli where exchange of
gases occur with the help of large network of blood vessels.

Nose – nasal cavity – Pharynx – Larynx – Trachea (windpipe) – Bronchi – Lungs -

Bronchioles - Alveoli – Blood vessels – (vice versa when Carbon dioxide is collected)
 Transportation
• Movement of all the important components
to the whole body.
• Our body has Blood, which is a fluid
connective tissue. It has –
– Plasma, RBCs, WBCs, Platelets
• Plasma transports food, CO2, Nitrogenous
waste in dissolved form.
• Oxygen is carried by RBCs.
• Heart is called “The Pump”
• Types of Blood vessels –
– Arteries : carries blood away from the heart.
– Veins : carries blood towards the heart.
– Capillaries : connect arteries to veins.
• Types of Blood
– Oxygenated : oxygen rich
– Deoxygenated : carbon dioxide in high amount
• Heart has 4 Chambers
– Upper : Left & Right Atrium
– Lower : Left & Right Ventricle
• Heart has valves to ensure blood doesn’t flow
backwards.
• Largest artery – Aorta
• Largest vein – Vena cava

• Working of Heart

• From Body :
 Deoxygenated blood – from vena cava – to Right
Atrium & Ventricle – through Pulmonary artery to
lungs to purify the blood
• From Lungs :
 Oxygenated blood – from pulmonary vein – to Left
Atrium & Ventricle – through Aorta to the whole
body.
Transportation In Plants
 Excretion
• Removal of metabolic wastes from our body.
• Organs
– Pair of Kidneys
– Pair of Ureters
– A urinary bladder
– A urethra
Functions of Kidney :
-Exchange of waste products
-Elimination of toxic chemicals
-Water balance
-Regulates Blood pressure by a hormone
-Production of RBCs
Blood is filtered in Kidney & Urine is formed

Urine is passed through Ureters

Urine reaches Urinary Bladder

When you feel the urge to urinate, it passes

through Urethra & released outside the body
 How Urine is formed
• Nephron helps in the formation of urine, around
1 million Nephron are present in each kidney
• It is the basic structural & functional unit of
Kidney.
• Urine is formed in 3 phases
– Glomerular filtration
– Re-absorption
– Secretion
• Blood enters the Glomerulus in Bowman’s
Capsule.
• Filtrate (primary urine) is formed.
• Imp. components such as Glucose, amino acids
etc are reabsorbed by the tubule.
• Remaining waste is the urine, which contains 95%
water, 5% are Metabolic wastes (including
Nitrogenous waste).
 Excretion in Plants
• Oxygen and carbon dioxide – through stomata
• Excess of water – by transpiration
• Lose old parts like leaves and barks
• Secrete some waste substance into the soil.