LIFE PROCESSES.

Page Number: 95
Question 1: Why is diffusion insufficient to meet the oxygen requirements of
multicellular organisms like humans?

Answer: In multicellular organisms like humans, all the body cells are not in direct contact
with the surrounding environment. Therefore, every cell of the body will not get oxygen as
per need by the process of diffusion from the environment. Therefore, diffusion is insufficient
to meet the oxygen requirements of multicellular organisms.

Question 2: What criteria do we use to decide whether something is alive?

Answer: The main criteria used to decide whether something is alive are breathing and
respiration. However, living beings also show growth and movement.

Question 3: What are outside raw materials used by an organism?

Answer: Any organism uses organic molecules as raw material. Heterotrophs use food and
autotrophs use carbon dioxide, minerals, water and all organisms use oxygen (for respiration)
as raw materials.

Question 4: What processes would you consider essential for maintaining life?

Answer: Processes essential for maintaining life are:

(i) Nutrition

(ii) Respiration

(iii) Transportation

(iv) Excretion

Page Number: 101

Question 1: What are the differences between autotrophic nutrition and heterotrophic
nutrition?
 Ans :

Question 2: Where do plants get each of the raw materials required for photosynthesis?

Answer:

(i) Carbon dioxide: Plants get carbon dioxide from the

environment/atmosphere through stomata.
(ii) Water: Plants absorb water from the soil through roots and transport to
leaves.
(iii) Sunlight: Plants get sunlight from the sun.
(iv) Chlorophyll: It is present in chloroplast found in green leaves and green
parts of plants.

Question 3: What is the role of the acid in our stomach?

Answer: Role of acid in our stomach is:

(i) To make acidic medium which is necessary for the activation of the
enzyme pepsin.
 (ii) To kill bacteria which the food may contain.

Question 4: What is the function of digestive enzymes?

Answer: The food we eat is complex in nature, i.e., it contains complex molecules.
Digestive enzymes break down these complex molecules into smaller simpler
molecules so that they can be absorbed by the walls of the intestine.

Page Number: 105

Question 5: How is the small intestine designed to absorb digested food?

Answer: The small intestine is designed to provide maximum area for absorption
of digested food and its transfer into the blood for its circulation into the body. For
this, the inner lining of the small intestine has numerous finger-like projections
called villi. The villi are richly supplied with blood vessels which take the
absorbed food to each and every cell of the body.

Question 1: What advantage over an aquatic organism does a terrestrial organism have with
regard to obtaining oxygen for respiration?

Answer: Aquatic organisms use oxygen dissolved in surrounding water. Since air
dissolved in water has fairly low concentration of oxygen, the aquatic organisms
have much faster rate of breathing. Terrestrial organisms take oxygen from the
oxygen-rich atmosphere through respiratory organs. Hence, they have much less
breathing rate than aquatic organisms.

Question 2: What are the different ways in which glucose is oxidised to provide energy in
various organisms?

Answer: First step of breakdown of glucose (6 carbon molecules) takes place in

the cytoplasm of cells of all organisms. This process yields a three carbon
molecule compound called pyruvate. Further break down of pyruvate takes place
in different ways in different organisms:

Anaerobic respiration: The anaerobic respiration in plants (like yeast) produces

ethanol and carbon dioxide as end products.

Aerobic respiration: In aerobic respiration break down of pyruvate takes place in

presence of oxygen to give rise three molecules of carbon dioxide and water. The
release of energy in aerobic respiration is much more than in anaerobic
respiration.

Lack of oxygen: Sometimes, when there is lack of oxygen especially during

physical exercise, in our muscles, pyruvate is converted into lactic acid (3 carbon
molecule compound). Formation of lactic acid in muscles causes cramp.

Page Number: 110

Question 3: How is oxygen and carbon dioxide transported in human beings?

 Answer:

(i) Transport of oxygen: Haemoglobin present in the blood takes up the

oxygen from the air in the lungs. It carries the oxygen to tissues which are
deficient in oxygen before releasing it.
(ii) Transport of carbon dioxide: Carbon dioxide is more soluble in water.
Therefore, it is mostly transported from body tissues in the dissolved form
in our blood plasma to lungs. Here it diffuses from blood to air in the
lungs.

Question 4: How are the lungs designed in human beings to maximise the area for exchange
of gases?

Answer: Within the lungs, the air passage divides into smaller and smaller tubes,
called bronchi which in turn form bronchioles. The bronchioles terminate in
balloon-like structures, called alveoli. The alveoli present in the lungs provide
maximum surface for exchange of gases. The alveoli have very thin walls and
contain an extensive network of blood vessels to facilitate exchange of gases.

Question 1: What are the components of the transport system in human beings? What are the
functions of these components?

Answer: The transport system (circulatory system) in human beings mainly

consists of heart, blood and blood vessels.

(i) Function of heart: The heart receives deoxygenated blood from the body
parts and pumps it to lungs for enriching with oxygen. It receives purified
blood from lungs and pumps it around the body.
(ii) Function of blood: Blood transports oxygen, carbon dioxide, digested
food, hormones and nitrogenous waste like urea. It also protects the body
from diseases and regulates the body temperature.
(iii) Function of blood vessels: The blood pushed by the heart flows through
the blood vessels (arteries, veins and capillaries) and also comes back to
the heart through them.

Question 2: Why is it necessary to separate oxygenated and deoxygenated blood in mammals

and birds?

Answer: Separation of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood allows good supply of

oxygen to the body. This system is useful in animals that have high energy
requirement. Mammals and birds constantly need oxygen to get energy to
maintain their body temperature constant.

Page Number: 112

Question 3: What are the components of the transport system in highly organised plants?

Answer: In highly organised plants there are two conducting tissues: xylem and
phloem. Xylem consists of vessels, tracheids and other xylem tissues. The
interconnected vessels and tracheids form a continuous system of water
 conducting channels reaching all parts of the plant. Xylem carries water and
minerals. Phloem conducts soluble products of photosynthesis from leaves to
different parts of the plant body.

Question 4: How are water and minerals transport in plants?

Answer:

Xylem transports plant water and minerals.

Root hair is the hair found in the roots of plants.

These root hairs absorb water and minerals from the soil because they are in direct
contact with the water film between the soil particles.

Through the diffusion process, water enters the root hairs.

The xylem is made up of small vessels that connect the roots and leaves.

Xylem transports water, minerals, and nutrients from the soil to all the plant parts.

There are two types of “transport” tissues in plants- xylem and phloem.

Water and solutes are transported by the xylem from the roots to the leaves, and
food is transported from the leaves to the rest of the plant by the phloem.

The process by which water evaporates from the leaves and draws more water
from the roots is called ‘transpiration’.

Question 5: How is food transported in plants?

Answer: The movement of food in phloem (or translocation) takes place by

utilizing energy. The sugar (food) made in leaves is loaded into the sieve tubes of
phloem tissue by using energy from ATP. Water now enters the sieve tubes
containing sugar by the process of osmosis due to which the pressure in the
phloem tissue rises. This high pressure produced in the phloem tissue moves the
food to all parts of the plant having less pressure in their tissues. This allows the
phloem to transport food according to the needs of the plant.

Question 1: Describe the structure and functions of nephrons.

Answer:

Structure of nephrons:

The nephron is the functional unit of the kidney.

It is composed of a renal corpuscle and a renal tubule.

Nephrons are basic filtering units of kidneys.

 Each kidney possesses a large number of nephrons (approx. 1-1.5 million).

The components of the nephron: Glomerulus, Bowman’s capsule, Long renal

tubule.

Functions of nephron:

The blood enters the kidney through the renal artery (which branches into
capillaries associated with the glomerulus).

Water and solute are transferred to Bowman’s capsule.

In the proximal convoluted tubule, glucose and salts are selectively reabsorbed.

Now filtrate moves down into the loop of Henle.

Page Number: 113 (Continued)

Question 2: What are the methods used by plants to get rid of excretory products?

Answer:

(i) The plants get rid of gaseous products through stomata in leaves and
lenticels in stems.
(ii) The plants get rid of stored solid and liquid waste by the shedding off
leaves, peeling off bark and felling off fruits.
(iii) The plants get rid of wastes by secreting them in the form of gums and
resins.
(iv) Plants also excrete some waste substances into the soil around them.

Question 3: How is the amount of urine produced regulated?

Answer: The amount of urine is regulated by kidney. It depends on the quantity of

excess water and wastes dissolved in water.

(i) Quantity of water: When water is abundant in the body tissues, large
quantities of dilute urine is excreted out. When water is less in quantity in
the body tissues, a small quantity of concentrated urine is excreted.
(ii) Quantity of dissolved wastes: Dissolved wastes, especially nitrogenous
wastes, like urea and uric acid and salts are excreted from the body. When
there is more quantity of dissolved wastes in the body, more quantity of
water is required to excrete them. Therefore, the amount of urine produced
increases.
(iii) Hormones: The amount of urine produced is also regulated by certain
hormones which control the movement of water and Na+ ions in and out
of the nephrons.

Textbook Chapter End Questions

Question 1: The kidneys in human beings are a part of the system for
 (i) Nutrition
(ii) Respiration
(iii) Excretion
(iv) Transportation

Answer: (iii) Excretion

Question 2: The xylem in plants are responsible for

(i) Transport of water

(ii) Transport of food
(iii) Transport of amino acids
(iv) Transport of oxygen

Answer: (i) Transport of water

Question 3: The autotrophic mode of nutrition requires

(i) Carbon dioxide and water

(ii) Chlorophyll
(iii) Sunlight
(iv) All of the above

Answer: (iv) All of the above

Question 4: The breakdown of pyruvate to give carbon dioxide, water and energy
takes place in

(i) Cytoplasm
(ii) Mitochondria
(iii) Chloroplast
(iv) Nucleus

Answer: (ii) Mitochondria

Question 5: How are fats digested in our bodies? Where does this process
take place?

Answer: Digestion of fats takes place in the small intestine.

Bile juice secreted by the liver is poured into the intestine along with
pancreatic juice.

The bile salts present in the bile juice emulsify the large globules of fats.
Therefore, by emulsification, large globules break down into fine globules
to provide a larger surface area to act upon by the enzymes.
Lipase enzyme present in the pancreatic juice causes the breakdown of
emulsified fats.

Glands present in the wall of the small intestine secrete intestinal juice
which contains lipase enzyme that converts fats into fatty acids and
glycerol.

Question 6: What is the role of saliva in the digestion of food?

Answer: Saliva contains the salivary amylase enzyme that breaks down
starch into sugars like maltose. Saliva keeps the mouth cavity clean and
moistens the food, which helps in chewing and breaking down the big
pieces of food into smaller ones.

Question 7: What are the necessary conditions for autotrophic nutrition

and what are its by-products?

Answer: Necessary conditions for autotrophic nutrition:

(i) Presence of chlorophyll in the living cells.

(ii) Provision of supply of water to green plants or cells of the plant.
(iii) Sufficient sunlight.
(iv) Sufficient supply of carbon dioxide.

By-product of autotrophic nutrition is oxygen)

Question 8: What are the differences between aerobic and anaerobic

respiration? Name some organisms that use the anaerobic mode of
respiration.
Answer:
Some organisms which use anaerobic respiration are yeast, bacteria, etc.

Question 9: How are the alveoli designed to maximise the exchange of

gases?

Answer: (i) The alveoli are thin-walled and richly supplied with a network
of blood vessels to facilitate the exchange of gases between blood and the
air filled in alveoli.

(iii) Alveoli have a balloon-like structure. Hence, they provide

maximum surface area for the exchange of gases.

Question 10: What would be the consequences of a deficiency of

haemoglobin in our bodies?

Answer: Due to the deficiency of haemoglobin in blood, its oxygen-

carrying capacity decreases. As a result, the production of energy by
oxidation will become slower. Therefore, one would fall sick and would feel
fatigue most of the time.

Page Number: 12 (from document)

Question 11: Describe double circulation in human beings. Why is it

necessary?

Answer: In human beings, blood goes through the heart twice during each
cycle; i.e., blood passes through the human heart two times in order to
supply blood once to the whole body. So, it is called double circulation.

The double circulation of blood includes:

(i) Systemic Circulation

(ii) Pulmonary Circulation

Systemic Circulation: During systemic circulation, oxygenated blood from

the left atrium is supplied to the left ventricle, from where blood is
pumped to various parts of the body. The deoxygenated blood is collected
from the various body organs by the veins and brought into the vena cava
and finally into the right atrium. The right atrium transfers the blood into
the right ventricle.

Pulmonary Circulation: The deoxygenated blood is pumped by the right

ventricle into the lungs for oxygenation. The oxygenated blood is brought
back to the left atrium (auricle) of the human heart by means of four
pulmonary veins. From the left atrium, the oxygenated blood is pushed
into the left ventricle. The left ventricle pumps oxygenated blood into the
aorta for systemic circulation.

Why is it necessary?

This type of double circulation is necessary in human beings to separate

oxygenated and deoxygenated blood as this enhances the efficiency of
cellular respiration in humans. It consequently helps in maintaining a
constant body temperature.