Class 10 Science - Chapter 5: Life Processes (Detailed Notes)

Introduction
Life processes are the basic activities that all living organisms perform to maintain
and sustain life. These include nutrition, respiration, transportation, and excretion. All
these processes are essential for the survival of an organism.

1. What are Life Processes?

All living organisms exhibit certain characteristics such as growth, reproduction,
movement, and response to stimuli. However, to maintain these characteristics,
several vital processes are continuously carried out in their bodies. These processes
are called life processes. The main life processes are:
 Nutrition
 Respiration
 Transportation
 Excretion
These processes require energy, which comes from food. The energy is used to
repair and maintain the body structures and to carry out biological functions.

2. Nutrition
Nutrition is the process by which living organisms obtain and utilize food for their
growth and maintenance. There are two main types of nutrition:
(a) Autotrophic Nutrition
 This type of nutrition is found in green plants and some bacteria.
 Organisms prepare their own food from simple inorganic substances like carbon
dioxide and water in the presence of sunlight and chlorophyll.
 This process is called photosynthesis.
Equation of Photosynthesis:

Steps involved in photosynthesis:

1. Absorption of light energy by chlorophyll.
2. Conversion of light energy to chemical energy and splitting of water molecules.
3. Reduction of carbon dioxide to carbohydrates.
Raw materials required:
 Carbon dioxide (from air through stomata)
 Water (from soil through roots)
 Sunlight

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  Sunlight
 Chlorophyll (present in leaves)
Stomata

 Stomata are tiny pores present on the surface of leaves, mainly on the
underside.
 They are surrounded by guard cells that control their opening and closing.
 Functions of stomata:
o Allow exchange of gases (CO₂ in, O₂ out) during photosynthesis.

o Help in transpiration (loss of water vapor).

 When water enters the guard cells, they swell and the pore opens.
 When water exits, the guard cells shrink and the pore closes.
 Stomatal movement is regulated by the water content in the guard cells.
(b) Heterotrophic Nutrition
 This type of nutrition is found in animals and fungi.
 Organisms cannot prepare their own food and depend on others for food.
 Types include:
o Saprophytic: Organisms feed on dead and decaying matter (e.g.,
fungi).
o Parasitic: Organisms live on or in the host and obtain food (e.g., lice,
leeches).
o Holozoic: Involves ingestion, digestion, absorption, and assimilation
(e.g., humans).
Nutrition in Amoeba

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  Amoeba follows holozoic nutrition.
 It engulfs food with the help of finger-like projections called pseudopodia.
 The food is trapped in a food vacuole, where it is digested by enzymes.
 The nutrients are absorbed into the cytoplasm.
 The undigested food is expelled outside the body.

3. Nutrition in Humans
Human beings follow holozoic nutrition. The process of nutrition in humans involves
five main steps: ingestion, digestion, absorption, assimilation, and egestion. The
human digestive system is a long, coiled tube called the alimentary canal, along
with accessory glands like salivary glands, liver, and pancreas.

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1. Mouth:
o Food is chewed with the help of teeth (mechanical digestion).

o Mixed with saliva secreted by salivary glands.

o Saliva contains salivary amylase enzyme that breaks down starch

into sugar.
o Tongue helps in mixing food and swallowing it.

2. Oesophagus (Food Pipe):

o Tube that connects the mouth to the stomach.

o Pushes food using peristaltic movements (rhythmic contractions of

muscles).
3. Stomach:
o A muscular sac that stores and churns food.

o Secretes gastric juice containing:

 Hydrochloric acid (HCl): Creates acidic environment and

kills germs.
 Pepsin enzyme: Digests proteins into peptones and
polypeptides.
 Mucus: Protects the stomach lining from acid.
4. Small Intestine:
o Longest part of the digestive system (~6 meters).

o Site of complete digestion and absorption.

Receives:

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 o Receives:

 Bile juice from liver (stored in gall bladder): emulsifies fats.

 Pancreatic juice from pancreas: contains enzymes like
trypsin (digests proteins), amylase (digests carbohydrates),
and lipase (digests fats).
 Intestinal juice: contains enzymes that complete the
digestion of carbohydrates into glucose, proteins into amino
acids, and fats into fatty acids and glycerol.
o Inner wall has finger-like projections called villi which increase
surface area for absorption.
o Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream through villi.

5. Large Intestine:
o Absorbs excess water and minerals from undigested food.
o Prepares the waste material for removal.

6. Anus:
o The undigested waste is removed from the body in the form of feces.

o This process is called egestion.

Summary: Human digestion involves breaking down complex food into simpler
forms, absorbing nutrients into blood, and removing waste from the body efficiently.
Final Products of Digestion:
 Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose (a simple sugar).
 Proteins are broken down into amino acids.
 Fats are broken down into fatty acids and glycerol.
These simple forms are absorbed into the bloodstream through the walls of the
small intestine (villi) and transported to various parts of the body for use and
storage.

4. Respiration in Humans
Respiration is the process of breaking down food (mainly glucose) in the cells to
release energy. This energy is required for all vital activities of life such as growth,
movement, repair, etc. It takes place in every living cell and is essential for survival.
Types of Respiration:

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Respiratory System in Humans:
The human respiratory system is responsible for the intake of oxygen and removal of
carbon dioxide. It includes a series of organs and structures that work together to
carry out the process of breathing and gas exchange.

Main parts and their functions:

1. Nostrils: Openings of the nose through which air enters the body.
2. Nasal Passage: Warms, moistens, and filters the air with the help of hairs and
mucus.
3. Pharynx: A common passage for air and food; directs air to the larynx.
4. Larynx (Voice Box): Produces sound and also allows passage of air.
5. Trachea (Windpipe): A tube supported by C-shaped cartilage rings that
prevent its collapse and ensure a clear air passage to the lungs.
6. Bronchi: Trachea divides into two bronchi, one entering each lung.
7. Bronchioles: Each bronchus further divides into smaller tubes called
bronchioles within the lungs.
8. Alveoli: Small balloon-like air sacs present at the end of bronchioles. They are
surrounded by a network of blood capillaries and are the site of exchange of
gases. Oxygen diffuses into the blood and carbon dioxide diffuses out into the
alveoli to be exhaled.
This system ensures that oxygen reaches the blood and carbon dioxide is removed
from the body effectively.
 Oxygen is carried by haemoglobin in red blood cells.

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  Carbon dioxide is mostly transported in dissolved form in blood plasma.
Breathing:
 Inhalation: Diaphragm and rib muscles contract, chest cavity expands, air
enters lungs.
 Exhalation: Diaphragm and rib muscles relax, chest cavity contracts, air is
pushed out.
Significance:
 Provides energy for all metabolic activities.
 Maintains proper oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the body.

5. Transportation
Chambers of Heart in Different Animals
Different animals have different numbers of heart chambers depending on their
complexity and oxygen needs:
 Fish: 2 chambers (1 atrium, 1 ventricle)
o Blood passes only once through the heart in a cycle.

o Oxygenation occurs in the gills.

o Suitable for animals with slow metabolism.

 Amphibians and most Reptiles (except crocodiles): 3 chambers (2 atria, 1

ventricle)
o Partial mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood occurs in the
single ventricle.
o Efficient enough for their body needs but not as efficient as complete
separation.
 Birds and Mammals: 4 chambers (2 atria, 2 ventricles)
o Complete separation of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood.

o Ensures efficient supply of oxygen for high metabolic activity.

o Essential for maintaining constant body temperature (warm-blooded
animals).
Transportation in Plants
Plants have special tissues to transport water, minerals, and food to all parts of the
plant. These tissues are:
1. Xylem:
o Xylem carries water and minerals from the roots to the leaves.

o Water moves upward because of two main reasons:

 Root Pressure: Roots absorb water from the soil. The
continuous entry of water creates a pressure that pushes
water upwards through the xylem.
 Transpiration Pull: Water evaporates from the surface of
leaves (through stomata). This creates a suction or pulling

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 leaves (through stomata). This creates a suction or pulling
force that draws water upward from the roots through the
stem.
o Water moves in one direction only — from roots to leaves.

2. Phloem:
o Phloem transports food (mainly sugar or sucrose) from the leaves to
all other parts of the plant.
o This process is called translocation.

o Food moves from the source (usually the leaves where it is

prepared) to the sink (parts where food is needed or stored, like
roots, fruits, and growing buds).
o Translocation takes place in both upward and downward directions.

o Unlike xylem, phloem requires energy (in the form of ATP) to move
food.
Transpiration
 The loss of water in the form of water vapour from the aerial parts of the plant,
especially through stomata.
 Helps in pulling water upward through the xylem (transpiration pull).
 Also helps in cooling the plant and maintaining the flow of minerals.

Structure and Functioning of Human Heart

The human heart is a muscular organ present in the chest cavity slightly tilted
towards the left side. It is roughly the size of a closed fist. Its main function is to
pump blood throughout the body.
Structure:

 The heart is made of cardiac muscles.

 It is divided into four chambers:
1. Right Atrium: Receives deoxygenated blood from the body through
vena cava.

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 2. Right Ventricle: Pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs through the
pulmonary artery.
3. Left Atrium: Receives oxygenated blood from the lungs through
pulmonary veins.
4. Left Ventricle: Pumps oxygenated blood to the body through the
aorta.
 Valves are present between the atria and ventricles to ensure one-way flow of
blood and prevent backflow.
Functioning:
 The right side of the heart deals with deoxygenated blood and sends it to the
lungs.
 The left side of the heart deals with oxygenated blood and sends it to the rest of
the body.
 This is known as double circulation because the blood passes twice through
the heart in one complete cycle.
Explanation of Double Circulation:

In double circulation, blood passes through the heart twice during one complete
cycle. The flow of blood starts from the lungs:
Step-by-step blood flow starting from the lungs:
1. Lungs: Oxygen is absorbed into the blood and carbon dioxide is removed. The
oxygen-rich blood returns to the heart.
2. Left Atrium: Receives oxygenated blood from the lungs through the
pulmonary veins.
3. Left Ventricle: The oxygenated blood moves into the left ventricle and is
pumped to the rest of the body through the aorta.
4. Body Organs: Blood delivers oxygen and nutrients to body cells and collects
carbon dioxide and waste products.
5. Right Atrium: The deoxygenated blood from the body returns to the heart
through vena cava.
6. Right Ventricle: Blood moves from the right atrium to the right ventricle.
7. Pulmonary Artery: The right ventricle pumps the deoxygenated blood to the

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 7. Pulmonary Artery: The right ventricle pumps the deoxygenated blood to the
lungs for oxygenation.
This completes one full cycle of double circulation.
Double circulation includes:
 Pulmonary Circulation: Between heart and lungs (right side).
 Systemic Circulation: Between heart and body (left side).
Double circulation keeps oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood separate, ensuring
efficient oxygen supply and high energy output in humans. This separation is very
useful in animals that have high energy needs (like humans).

Different Blood Vessels, Platelets, and Lymph

 Arteries:
o Carry blood away from heart.

o Have thick, elastic walls.

o Carry oxygenated blood (except pulmonary artery).

 Veins:
o Carry blood to the heart.
o Have thin walls and valves.

o Carry deoxygenated blood (except pulmonary vein).

 Capillaries:
o Thin, one-cell thick walls.

o Connect arteries and veins.

o Allow exchange of substances between blood and tissues.

 Platelets:
o Help in blood clotting.
o Prevent excessive blood loss during injury.

 Lymph:
o Colourless fluid from plasma.

o Drains into lymph vessels.

o Helps in transport of fat and defence (immunity).

6. Excretion
Excretion is the biological process by which harmful metabolic wastes are removed
from the body. These waste products are formed due to various chemical activities in
the cells. If not removed, they can be toxic and harmful.
Excretion in Humans:

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The human excretory system consists of the following organs:
1. Kidneys – Filter blood and remove waste products like urea, excess salts, and water.
2. Ureters – Tubes that carry urine from each kidney to the urinary bladder.
3. Urinary Bladder – Stores urine temporarily until it is released.
4. Urethra – Carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body.
Dialysis:
 When kidneys fail, an artificial process called dialysis is used to remove urea
and other wastes from the blood.
 In dialysis, blood is passed through a machine with a semi-permeable
membrane which filters out waste.
Excretion in Plants:
 Plants do not have a specialized excretory system.
 Waste products like oxygen and water are removed through stomata and
lenticles.
 Some wastes like gums and resins are stored in old xylem tissues.
 Many wastes are stored in leaves which later fall off (leaf fall).

From <[Link]

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