LIFE PROCESSES

MADE BY VEENA MAM

 WHAT ARE LIFE PROCESSES?
• Processes which together perform the
maintenance functions which are essential for
sustaining life.
• Life processes exist both in unicellular and
multicellular life forms.
• Different life processes:
• 1) nutrition – how food is
obtained/intake/absorbed/assimilated
• 2) respitation – exchange of gases+ utilisation of
food to give energy
• 3) transportation- food/gases-different parts of
body
• 4) Excretion-removal of wastes
• 5) Control and coordination-synchronisation
between organs
• 6) reproduction- reproducing young ones
• 7)Growth and development- number and size
of cells increase
• 8) Movement
 How are the life processes inter
related?
• Food • Nutrition
• How energy is obtained • Respiration
from food?
• How energy reaches • Transportation
each part of the body?
• What about the wastes • Excretion
produced?
 Nutrition
• The process of obtaining food and changing it
into simple absorbable form.
• Why do organisms need food?
• Food contains nutrients:substances that
provide nourishment needed for growth and
maintenance of life.
• Provides energy
• Helps in cell repair, cell growth
• Increases resistance against diseases
 Modes of nutrition
Autotrophic nutrition Heterotrophic nutrition
• Prepare own food • Depend on others
• A) photosynthetic • A)Saprophytic- feed on
• sunlight+chlorophyll dead and decomposing
• Eg:plants, algae, some matter eg:fungi
bacteria • B)Parasitic-feed on host
• B) Chemosynthetic • Eg:plasmodium
• Chemicals • C) holozoic –feed on
• Sulphur bacteria- complex organic matter
nitrosomonas bacteria
 Nutrition in Plants
• Autotrophic nutrition
• Prepare their own food by photosynthesis.
• Photosynthesis : process by which green
plants prepare their food in presence of light .
• Takes place in leaves of plants.
 Requirements of photosynthesis
• Chlorophyll : present in leaves
• Sunlight : from sun
• Carbon-dioxide : from air through stomata
• Water : from soil through roots
• Food prepared is stored in the form of starch
 Steps involved in photosynthesis
• Absorption of light energy by chlorophyll
• Conversion of light energy to chemical energy
and splitting of water molecules into H2 and
O2
• Reduction of CO2 to carbohydrates.
• 6CO2 + 12H2OCHLOROPHYLL C6H12O6 + 6H2O + 6O2
• SUNLIGHT
• Desert plants take up carbon dioxide at night
and prepare an intermediate which is acted
upon by energy absorbed by chlorophyll
during the day.
How do plants obtain carbon dioxide?
• Plants obtain CO2 through stomata.
• Massive amount of gaseous exchange takes
place in the leaves through stomata for
photosynthesis.
• A large amount of water is also lost
through stomata, so the plant closes
them when it does not need CO2.
Stomata:tiny pores on the surface of leaves
Gaseous exchange
takes place
through stomata.
Opening and
closing of stomata
is governed by
guard cells.
• Guard cells absorb water and swell-this causes
the opening of stomata.
• Guard cells lose water and shrink-this causes
• The closing of stomata.
Other raw materials needed by plants

• Nitrogen, phosphorus,iron and magnesium

are taken up from the soil
• Nitrogen is taken up in the form of inorganic
nitrates or nitrites. Or it is taken up as organic
compounds which have been prepared by
bacteria from atmospheric nitrogen.
 Heterotrophic Nutrition
• Holozoic nutrition- Intake of complex organix
matter as food.
• Herbivores: feed on plants
• Carnivores : feed on flesh
• Omnivores : feed on plants as well as flesh
• Heterotrophs depend directly or indirectly on
autotrophs for food.
Nutrition in Amoeba
• Ingestion
• Digestion
• Absorption
• Assimilation
• Egestion
 NUTRITION IN AMOEBA
• INGESTION by pseudopodia
• DIGESTION enzymes released by lysosomes in
food vacuoles
• ABSORPTION digested food diffuses into
cytoplasm
• ASSIMILATION absorbed food stored and
utilised later for synthesis
• EGESTION undigested food expelled out
through cell membrane
 Nutrition In Paramecium
• Holozoic nutrition
• Feeds on bacteria
• Steps :1) Ingestion: by cilia through oral groove into gullet,
food vacuole is formed
• 2) Digestion: enzymes released by lysosomes enter food
vacuole-intracellular digestion
• 3) Absorption: digested food diffuses to cytoplasm-food
vacuole shrinks
• 4) Assimilation:absorbed food nutrients are stored and
utilised later for synthesis
• 5) Egestion:undigested food expelled out through anal
pore.
 Nutrition in Human Beings
• Holozoic nutrition- Involves the following
steps
• Ingestion
• Digestion
• Absorption
• Assimilation
• Egestion
Human Alimentary Canal
• Alimentary canal – 9 m long structure
extending from mouth to anus. It consists of
• Mouth ----- Buccal cavity ------ Oesophagus-----
Stomach ------Small intestine ------ Large
intestine ----- Anus
• Mouth – slit bounded by movable lips
• function: intake of food
• Buccal cavity – contains teeth that crush food into
pieces
• Saliva –secreted by salivary glands, contains an
enzyme called salivary amylase that breaks down
starch into sugar.
• food is moistened and made softer while chewing
by the muscular tongue to make its passage
smooth.
• Tongue –contains taste buds to sense
taste of the food

• Oesophagus– food pipe- helps in

downward movement of food. Rhythmic
movement of muscles called peristalsis –
pushes food downward to the stomach.
 Stomach – expands as food enters
- has a muscular wall which
Help in mixing the food thoroughly
With more digestive juices.
stomach contains gastric juices which
secrete
1) enzyme pepsin for digestion of proteins
2)HCl to kill microbes in food and make the
medium acidic for the action of pepsin
3)Mucus to prevent HCl to get deposited in
excess and prevent inner lining of the
stomach from HCl
Digestion happens here with the help of
gastric enzymes
 Small Intestine
• It is the site of complete digestion of
carbohydrates, fats and proteins.
• Food reaches from stomach to small intestine
through sphincter muscle.
• It is the longest part of alimentary canal about
7.5 metre long coiled narrow tube.
• Receives secretions from liver and pancreas
Liver
• Liver ----the largest gland
• Secretes bile juice which is stored in gall
bladder
• Functions of Bile --- emulsifies fats (breaks
large globules of fats into smaller ones)
makes the medium alkaline
activates the action of pancreatic and
intestinal enzymes.
• Pancreas: The second largest gland, secretes
pancreatic juices.
Pancreatic juice contains-
i) Trypsin – Proteins
ii) Pancreatic amylase – Starch
iii) Pancreatic lipase – Fats
The walls of small intestine contains glands
which secrete intestinal juice that contains
enzymes to break down carbohydrates into
glucose, proteins into amino acids and fats
into fatty acids and glycerol.
 Carbohydrates •Glucose

Fats •Fatty acids

p

Proteins
Amino acids
• Absorption of food happens in the small
intestine.
• Finger like projections called villi on the inner
walls of intestine ensure absorption by increasing
surface area
• Villi are richly supplied with blood vessels which
take the absorbed food to each and every cell of
the body where it is utilised for obtaining energy
and building new tissues and repair of old tissues.
• Length of the small intestine varies from
animal to animal depending upon their food
habits.
• Herbivores- longer small intestine to allow
cellulose present in grass to be digested
• Carnivores-smaller small intestine as meat is
easier to digest
 Large Intestine
• Undigested and unabsorbed food is passed to
large intestine
• Wider than small intestine
• Where more villi absorb excess water

• Undigested food is excreted through anus

 Respiration
A life process involving intake of oxygen from
surroundings,oxidation of food,release of
energy, elimination of CO2 produced as a
byproduct,
• ENERGY IS RELEASED BY OXIDATION OF
ASSIMILATED MOLECULES.
• Oxidation of assimilated molecules releases
their bond energy
• First step is to convert glucose a 6 carbon
molecule into pyruvate a 3 carbon molecule.
This happens by three different ways.
 Difference between Respiration
Breathing
• Respiration • Breathing
• Biochemical process • Physical process
• Both extracellular and • Extracellular
intracellular • No enzyme action
• Enzyme action involved involved
• Energy is released • No energy released
• All body cells are • Only certains organs are
involved involved
• Fresh air(O2)→ lungs → blood → cells →
oxidation of food → CO2 → blood → lungs →
exhaled out CO2
 Types of Respiration
• Aerobic Respiration • Anaerobic Respiration
• Takes place in presence of • Takes place in absence of
oxygen oxygen
• More energy is released • Less energy is released
• Products are CO2,H2O along • Products are ethanol CO2
with energy lactic acid along with
• Occurs partially in energy
cytoplasm and rest in • Complete process occurs
mitochondria in cytoplasm
• Occurs in most plants and • Occurs in some
animals bacteria,worms,human
• Complete oxidation of muscle cell during
glucose vigorous exercise
• Incomplete oxidation of
glucose
Where do we use the energy released
during respiration?
• Synthesis of larger molecules from smaller ones
(amino acids to proteins)
• Growth and repair of cells
• Allowing chemical reactions to take place inside
body
• Maintain body temperature for warm blooded
animals like mammals and birds
• Movement of animals
• Message transfer through nerves
• Muscle movements
 Respiration in Plants
• Gaseous exchange takes place through
diffusion
• Gases exchanged- O2 and CO2
• Diffusion takes place through-stomata
• lenticels
• root surface
• Direction of diffusion depends on
• 1) ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
• 2) REQUIREMENTS OF THE PLANT
• AT NIGHT- no photosynthesis occurs, so CO2
elimination if the major exchange.CO2 diffuses
from plants to environment
• DURING THE DAY-CO2 generated during
respiration is used up for photosynthesis.
Hence no CO2 released. So O2 release is the
major exchange. O2 diffuses from plant to
environment.
 Respiration in Aquatic Animals
• Breathe in O2 dissolved in water.
• Rate of breathing in aquatic animals is higher
than the terrestrial ones as amount of O2 in
water is less than that in the air. More air
taken in to get more oxygen.
• Fishes take in water through their mouths and
force it pass the gills where the dissolved
oxygen is taken up by the blood.
 Respiration in Terrestrial animals
• Terrestrial organisms use the CO2 in the
atmosphere for respiration. Specialized organs
for O2 absorption are present in many
organisms. Surface through which gaseous
exchange takes place: respiratory surface.
Such surfaces are: permeable to gases, large
surface area, thin ,well protected
 Respiratory surfaces in various
organisms
• Hydra , paramecium, amoeba- body surface
• Insects : tracheal system
• Amphibians : lungs and skin
• Humans : lungs
 Respiration in Human Beings
• Nostrils: openings through which air is taken
in. Fine hair present which filter the air taken
in.
• Nasal cavity: cavity where the air reaches
through the nostrils
Central septum separates the left and right air
passages dividing the two nostrils.
• Nasal passages are lined with ciliated
epithelium and mucus. Air enters through the
nostrils, get warmed and moisyened at nasal
cavity.
• Pharynx: common passage for food and air.
Food goes to oesophagus and air goes to
trachea.
• Epiglottis: small flap of skin, prevents food
from entering respiratory tract.
• Traches: (wind pipe)air passes from pharynx to
this pipe. C- shaped rings of cartilage prevents
traches from collapsing when there is no air.
Internally lined by cilia and mucus. Runs from
throat till thoracis cavity.
• Lungs: spongy elastic organs
• Located in thoracic cavity
• Enclosed by a 2 layered membrane called pleura.
Plays an important role in breathing and O2
absorption.
• Bronchi: trachea divides into thinner tubes called
bronchi as it enters thoracic cavity.
• Bronchioles: each bronchus further divides into
finer branches called bronchioles.
• Each bronchioles end in cluster of tiny air
chambers called alveoli. Alveoli provide a surface
where the exchange of gases can take place.
Walls of the alveoli contain an extensive network
of blood vessels--- capillaries
• Alveoli are the functional units of lungs
• Inhalation: diaphragm muscles contract
• Diaphragn is pulled down
• Thoracic cavity expands
• Lungs expand
• Air pressure inside lungs decreases.
• Exhalation:
• diaphragm muscles expand
• Diaphragn is pulled up
• Thoracic cavity contracts
• Lungs contract
• Air pressure inside lungs increases.
• The blood brings CO2 from rest of the body for
release into the alveoli and O2 in the alveolar
air is taken up by blood in the alveolar blood
vessels to be transported to all the cells of the
body.
• In higher animals respiratory pigments (
hemoglobin present in RBC) take up O2 from
the air in the lungs and carry it to tissues
before releasing it.
 Transportation in Human Beings
Circulatory System
• Functions of blood
• Transport of gases: O2 from lungs to cells
• CO2 from cells to lungs
• Transport of nutrients
• Transport of hormones
• Transport of wastes from cells
• Transport heat to maintain body temperature
• Contains cells that fight infection (WBC)
Components Of Circulatory System
• Heart : pumping organ
• Arteries
• Veins blood vessels
• Capillaries
• Blood
• Lymph circulating medium
Our pump – The Heart
 The Heart
• Muscular pumping organ
• Located in thoracic cavity between lungs
• Tilted towards left
• Size of human fist, weighs 300 g
• Beats around 100000 times/day
 Structure of heart
• Four chambers
• 2 atria : left atrium and right atrium- receiving
chambers
• 2 ventricles : left ventricle and right ventricle –
pumping chambers
• Different chambers to prevent mixing of
oxygen rich (oxygenated) blood with CO2 rich
(deoxygenated) blood
• CO2 rich blood goes to the lungs for the CO2 to
be removed.
• O2 rich blood from lungs is brought back to
the heart to be pumped to the rest of the
body
 Steps in circulation of blood
• Oxygenated blood from the lungs comes to
thin walled upper chamber of the heart on the
left – the left atrium
• The left atrium relaxes when it is collecting
this blood. It then contracts, while the next
chamber-left ventricle expands, so that the
blood is transferred to it.
• When the left ventricle contracts, blood is
pumped out to the body
• Deoxygenated blood comes from the body to
the upper chamber on the right- the right
atrium as it expands.
• As the right atrium contracts the lower
chamber- the right ventricle dilates
• Blood is transferred to the right ventricle
which pumps it to the lungs for oxygenation.
• Since ventricles have to pump blood into
various organs, they have thicker muscular
walls atria. The blood goes through the heart
twice during one cycle. This is known as
double circulation.
• Valves open one way and control the flow of
blood in only one direction.
 Oxygen enters the blood in the lungs
• The separation of the right and left side of the
heart is useful :
• To keep the oxygenated and deoxygenated
blood from mixing
• To allow a highly efficient supply of oxygen to
the body which is essential in animals which
have high energy demands like birds and
mammals to maintain their body temperature.
• Amphibians and reptiles have three
chambered heart. Their body temperature
depends on the temperature of the
environment and they can tolerate some
mixing of the oxygenated and deoxygenated
blood.
• Fishes have two chambered heart. Blood is
pumped to the gills for oxygenation and
passes directly to the rest of the body. The
blood goes through the heart once during
each cycle ,hence it is known as single
circulation.
 The tubes: Blood vessels
Arteries Veins
• Carry blood away from • Carry blood from body to
the heart to the body the heart
• Carries oxygenated blood • Carry deoxygenated
except pulmonary artery blood except pulmonary
vein
• Blood flows with high
pressure • Blood flows with low
pressure
• Thick elastic walls
• Thin, less elastic walls
• No valves
• Valves present to prevent
backflow of the blood.
• On reaching and organ, the artery divides into
smaller and smaller vessels called capillaries,
to bring the blood in contact with all
individual cells.
• Exchange of materials between blood and
surrounding cells take place across the thin
walled capillaries. The capillaries join together
to form veins that convey blood away from
the organ.
 Function of Platelets
• Help in clotting of blood during an injury
• Avoid loss of blood
• Maintain blood pressure due to loss of blood
during an injury.
 lymph
• It is the tissue fluid.
• Some amount of plasma, proteins and blood
cells escape through the pores in the walls of
capillaries and form the tissue fluid or lymph.
• It is similar to plasma of blood but is
colourless and contains less amount of
proteins
• Unidirectional flow from tissues to heart.
 Functions of lymph
• Collects proteins
• Transports absorbed fat from intestine to
blood
• Drains excess fluid from extracellular space
back to blood.
Transportation in Plants
 Transportation in Plants
• Plants have low energy needs hence their
transport system is relatively slow.
• Transportation in Plants is carried out by
vascular tissues : xylem and phloem.
 Transport of water
• Xylem transports water and minerals absorbe
by roots from soil.
• Phenomenon of upward movement of water
and minerals from root to aerial parts is
termed as Ascent of Sap.
• In xylem tissue vessels and tracheids of the
roots, stem and leaves are interconnected to
form a continuous system of water conducting
channels reaching all parts of the plant.
• At roots, the cells in contact with the soil
actively take up ions. This creates difference in
the concentration of ions between root and
the soil. Thus water moves into the root and
eliminate the difference. There is a steady
movement of water into root xylem creating a
column of water that is steadily pushed
upwards.
 Forces favoring ascent of sap
• A large part of water is lost in transpiration.
Evaporation of water molecules from the cells
of leaves creates a suction force which pulls
water from the xylem cells and roots. Ascent
of sap is largely governed by physicla forces
like diffusion, osmosis and transpiration.
 Transport of Food and Other
Substances
• The transport of soluble products of
photosynthesis is called translocation. It is carried
out by phloem. It also transports amino acids and
other substances.
• Translocation takes place in sieve tubes with the
help of adjacent companion cells both in upward
and downward direction.
• It uses energy. Material like sucrose is transferred
into phloem tissue using energy from ATP.
• This increases osmotic pressure of the tissues
causing water to move into it. This pressure
moves the material in the phloem to tissues
which have less pressure. This allows phloem
to move materials according to plant’s needs.
 Excretion
• Removals of wasted from the body is called
excretion.
Excretory System In Humans
 Excretion in human beings.
• Excretory system in humans include :
• A pair of kidneys: located in the abdomen,
bean shaped one on eith side of backbone.
• A pair of ureters: slender tubes opening into
urinary bladder
• Urinary bladder: pear shaped muscular
reservoir of urine, opens into urethra.
• Urethra: opens to outside through urethral
aperture. Longer in males than in females.
• Wastes are excreted in the form of urine.
• Urine is produced in kidneys, moves through
ureters, stored in urinary bladder, released
through urethra
 How is urine produced?
• Main purpose of producing urine is to remove
wastes like uric acid from blood.
• Filtration occurs in kidneys basic filtration unit
is nephron
 Structure of a Nephron
• A nephron consists of:
• Very thin walled blood capillaries: Glomerulus
• Each capillary is associated with the cup
shaped end of a tube that collects the filtered
urine: Bowman’s capsule
• Each kidney has many nephrons packed
together.
Nephron
• Substances like glucose, amino acids,salts and good
amount of water are selectively re absorbed as the
urine flows along the tubular part of nephron.
• The amount of water absorbed depends on the
amount of wastes in the body and the amount of
excess water in the body.
• The urine moves to ureters and then to urinary bladder
• Gets collected in the urinary bladder till the pressure
increases---under nervous control
• Finally passed through the urethra
 Excretion in Plants
• O2 is a waste product which is utilised during
respiration
• Water is another waste product which is
excreted through transpiration.
• Plants also excrete in the form of resins, gums
and alkaloids like quinine.
• Plants also excrete through leaves or bark
which fall off later.