CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES

Life Processes
The basic functions performed by organisms to maintain their life on Earth are called life
processes.
All living things perform certain life processes like growth, excretion, respiration, circulation
etc. All the processes like respiration, digestion, which together keep the living organisms
live and perform the job of body maintenance are called life processes.

Nutrition

Life
Excretion Respiration
Processes

Transportation

Nutrition
1. Autotrophic Nutrition

● It is the mode of nutrition in which organisms synthesise their own food from simple
inorganic substances such as water and carbon dioxide.

● Green plants are autotrophs. They synthesise food by the process of photosynthesis.

● Photosynthesis is a physiological process by which plant cells containing chlorophyll

produce food in the form of carbohydrates using carbon dioxide, water and light energy.
Oxygen is released as a by- product of this process.

● Chlorophyll is the green pigment found in green plants.

● Chlorophyll is present in chloroplasts.

● Chloroplast is a membrane-bound oval cell organelle.

● It is enclosed by a double membrane. Its interior contains closely packed flattened sacs
called thylakoids. Chlorophyll is present in the thylakoids.

1
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES

● Thylakoids are arranged in piles called grana lying in a colourless ground substance
called stroma.

● Cells present in the spongy mesophyll layer and the palisade layer contain chloroplasts;
therefore, they are the site of photosynthesis.

Chloroplast
Stomata
● Stomata are minute openings present in the epidermal layers of leaves.
● They are responsible for gas exchange during photosynthesis.

Process of Photosynthesis
● The palisade layer is the centre for photosynthesis. Light energy is trapped in the
chlorophyll of the mesophyll cells in the palisade layer of leaves.
● The chemical equation for photosynthesis is

2
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES

Chlorophyll, light, carbon dioxide and water are necessary for photosynthesis.
2. Heterotrophic Nutrition
● It is the mode of nutrition of organisms which cannot synthesise their own food, but
they are dependent on other organisms for food.

● Organisms exhibiting heterotrophic nutrition are called heterotrophs.

Examples: yeasts, fungi, bacteria, human beings, tiger, monkey, birds, lion, cow etc.
Types of Heterotrophic Nutrition
● Saprotrophic Nutrition: Organisms obtain their food from dead, decaying plants and
animals. Example: Mushrooms

● Parasitic Nutrition: Organisms obtain their food from the bodies of other living
organisms. Parasites usually harm the host while obtaining their food.

● Example: Leech

● Holozoic Nutrition: It is a mode of nutrition in which organisms feed on solid food. The
food is complex organic material which when ingested is broken down into simple
inorganic substances by the process of digestion.
Example: Humans
3. Nutrition in Amoeba

3
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES

Nutrition in Paramecium

● The food is taken in at a specific spot, i.e. the oral groove.

● The food is brought close to the oral groove by the cilia present on the body surface of
paramecium.

4. Nutrition in Human Beings

4
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES

The alimentary canal is the long tube extending from the mouth to the anus.

● Food is chewed and mixed with saliva in the mouth with the help of tongue and teeth.
● Saliva which contains salivary amylase acts on the starch present in food.
● Saliva is secreted by 3 pairs of salivary glands.
● The food is converted into smaller particles and made smooth by mixing it with mucus
and saliva. It is now called bolus.
● The bolus moves down through the esophagus by peristaltic movements of the
esophageal wall.
● Once the bolus reaches the stomach, it is acted upon by HCl, gastric juices and pepsin.
● HCl creates an acidic medium for the action of pepsin.
● Mucus prevents the lining of the stomach wall from the acidic environment.
● Pepsin converts proteins into peptides.
● The exit of food from the stomach is regulated by a sphincter muscle called the pyloric
5
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES
sphincter or pylorus which releases small amounts of partially digested food into the small
intestine.
● The small intestine is a very long tube found in the abdomen. It is about 6–7 metre in
length and about 2.5–3 cm wide.
● Bile and pancreatic juices are secreted into the small intestine.
● Bile acts on the fat molecules and breaks them into small flat droplets. This eases the
action of lipase on the fats. This process is called emulsification.
● Pancreatic juices contain different enzymes such as trypsin, lipase, maltase, peptidases,
sucrose, which act on the food to convert it into simpler units of carbohydrates, proteins
and fats.
● Intestinal glands also secrete intestinal juices which also contain enzymes, which act on
the carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
● The digested food is then absorbed by the walls of the small intestine.
● Presence of brush-like borders called microvilli increase the surface area for absorption.
● The unabsorbed food is sent to the large intestine where water is absorbed into the
blood stream.
● The left over material in the large intestine is sent to the rectum.
● It is excreted out through the anus.
● The opening of the anus is controlled by the anal sphincters.
Respiration
● Respiration is a catabolic process of releasing energy from the simple sugar glucose for
carrying out various life processes.

The energy required for all cellular activities is obtained by the oxidation of glucose.
● If glucose is not available, then the cells may break down proteins and fats to produce
glucose. This glucose is then oxidised further to fulfil the respiratory needs of the cell.
● The first step towards obtaining energy is that the six-carbon glucose is broken down
into two molecules of three-carbon pyruvate. This process takes place in the cytoplasm.

Aerobic Respiration

● The breakdown of glucose in the presence of oxygen is called aerobic respiration.

● The process of aerobic respiration releases carbon dioxide, water and energy.
● The energy released in aerobic respiration is 686 kcal or 38 ATP of chemical energy and
6
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES
420 kcal of heat energy.
● Most of the animals, plants, human beings, several bacteria and fungi are aerobic.
Anaerobic Respiration

● The breakdown of glucose in the absence of oxygen is called anaerobic respiration.

● The process of anaerobic respiration results in the formation of ethanol (in plants) or
lactic acid (in animals), along with the release of carbon dioxide and energy.
● Water is not released in this process.
● 2 ATPs are released during anaerobic respiration.
● During heavy physical exercise such as cycling, running or lifting heavy weights, the body
is often deprived of oxygen. The demand for energy is high, while the supply of oxygen to
the body is limited. Therefore, muscle cells perform anaerobic respiration to fulfil the
increasing energy demands of the body. In this case, glucose gets converted to lactic acid.

● Sometimes, lactic acid formed during anaerobic respiration in muscle cells gets
accumulated, causing muscular cramps. This condition is called oxygen debt. In the
presence of sufficient oxygen, lactic acid gets oxidised to carbon dioxide and water.
Respiration in Plants
● All parts of a plant perform respiration.
● Plants exchange gases by diffusion through the stomata.
● Oxygen from the air diffuses into a leaf and reaches all the cells for respiration.
● Carbon dioxide produced during respiration is released into the air through the stomata.
● In plants, respiration occurs during the day as well as during the night.
● During the day, oxygen produced during photosynthesis is used for respiration and the
extra amount of oxygen is given out through the stomata.
● The roots of plants take up oxygen from the air present between the roots and soil

7
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES
particles.
● In stems, the exchange of gases occurs through either the stomata or lenticels.
Respiration in Animals
Different animals have evolved different respiratory organs:

Human Respiratory System

The respiratory system in human beings consists of the nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea,
bronchi and lungs.

Air is taken in through the nostrils.

● Hairs present in the nostrils prevent the entry of dust particles inside the nose.
● Nostrils further continue into the nasal cavity.
● Nostrils humidify the air passing through it.
● There is a bony plate called the palate, which separates the oral cavity from the nasal
cavity.
● Nasal cavity opens into the pharynx.
8
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES

● The pharynx is a muscular chamber acting as a common passage for the windpipe or
trachea and the food pipe or esophagus.
● It is connected to the larynx through a slit-like opening called the glottis.
● The larynx is also called the voice-box or Adam's apple.
● The larynx connects the pharynx to the trachea.
● The trachea shows the presence of cartilaginous rings.
● The cartilaginous rings provide flexibility thus, facilitating continuous air flow.
● The inner wall of the trachea is lined by a mucous membrane consisting of ciliated
columnar epithelium.
● The trachea divides into two branches or tubes called bronchi, one of which enters the
right lung and the other enters the left lung.
● The bronchi have cartilaginous rings for distention.
● Each bronchus divides into fine secondary bronchi. These bronchi further divide into
finer tertiary bronchi. In the lungs, each bronchus finally divides into finer and smaller
branches called bronchioles.
● The bronchioles further divide to form smaller terminal bronchioles.
● The bronchioles divide repeatedly to form a cluster of tiny air chambers called air sacs or
alveoli.
● Alveoli have thin and moist walls which enable gaseous diffusion with blood capillaries.
● The lungs are a pair of spongy and elastic respiratory organs protected by a bony rib
cage.
● The base of the lungs rests on the diaphragm.
● Each lung is covered by two membranes. The inner membrane is called the inner or
visceral pleura and the outer membrane is called the outer or parietal pleura.
● The diaphragm is a curved, musculo-fibrous sheath which separates the thoracic cavity
from the abdominal cavity.
● The diaphragm plays a major role during respiration.
● The intercostal muscles found between the ribs and the radial muscles of the diaphragm
bring about the breathing movements.
● When we breathe in, the ribs are pulled upwards and the diaphragm becomes flat which
results in an increase in the volume of lungs.
● When we breathe out, the ribs come back to their normal position, the diaphragm is
relaxed, lungs attain their normal size and air is expelled out of the body through the
nostrils.

9
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES
Transportation
● All living organisms need a few necessary components like air, water, and food for their
survival.
● On our regular basis, animals ensure these elements by breathing, drinking and eating.
● The required elements are transported to their body cells and tissues by a
transportation system.
● In plants, the vascular tissue is responsible for transporting the substances.
Transportation in Human Beings
● Transportation in humans is done by the circulatory system.
● The circulatory system in humans mainly consists of blood, blood vessels and heart.
● It is responsible for the supply of oxygen, nutrients, removal of carbon dioxide and other
excretory products.
● It also helps to fight the infections.
Blood
Blood being a fluid connective tissue. Blood consists of a fluid medium called plasma in
which the cells are suspended. Plasma transports food, carbon dioxide and nitrogenous
wastes in dissolved form. Oxygen is carried by the red blood corpuscles. Many other
substances like salts, are also transported by the blood. We thus need a pumping organ to
push blood around the body, a network of tubes to reach all the tissues and a system in
place to ensure that this network can be repaired if damaged.
Functions of Blood

Composition of Blood Plasma

10
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES
● It is a light yellow-coloured or straw-coloured liquid.

● It constitutes 55% of the total blood volume.

Blood Cells

● Blood cells constitute 45% of the total blood volume.

● Three kinds of cells are found in the blood.

Red Blood Cells (RBCs/erythrocytes)

● RBCs are circular, disc-shaped and biconcave.

● They are produced in the bone marrow of long bones.
● Mature RBCs do not have nuclei.
● The lifespan of RBCs is 120 days.
● RBCs are made up of a iron- containing respiratory pigment called hemoglobin.
Hemoglobin transports oxygen from the lungs to tissues.

White Blood Cells (WBCs/leucocytes)

● Irregular, colourless, larger than RBCs. They have a large and lobed nucleus.
● WBCs are produced in the bone marrow, lymph glands and spleen.
● WBCs provide immunity.

Blood Platelets (Thrombocytes)

● Blood platelets are minute, oval or round, non- nucleated cells.

● Platelets are formed in the bone marrow.
● Blood platelets play an important role in blood clotting.

Heart – The Pumping Organ

11
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES

Schematic sectional view of the human heart Human heart

Location
● The heart is a muscular organ located in the chest cavity towards the
left side.
Size ● In adult humans, it is about the size of one’s fist.
Covering ● Covered by a double membrane called pericardium. It contains the
lubricating pericardial fluid.
● The pericardial fluid provides lubrication during the contraction and
relaxation of the heart.
● It also protects the heart from mechanical injuries.

Chambers of the ● Internally, the heart is divided into four chambers:

heart o Two thin-walled upper chambers-left atrium and right atrium.
o Two thick-walled lower chambers-left ventricle and right
ventricle.
● The superior vena cava brings deoxygenated blood from the anterior
part of the body, i.e. head, chest and arms, to the right atrium.
● The inferior vena cava brings blood from the posterior region of the
body, including the abdomen and legs, to the right atrium.
● The blood from the right atrium enters the right ventricle.
● From the right ventricle, the blood is sent to the lungs through the
pulmonary artery.
Blood vessels ● Four pulmonary veins carry oxygenated blood from the lungs to the
leaving the heart left atrium.
● From the left atrium, the blood enters the left ventricle.
● From the left ventricle, oxygenated blood is sent to all parts of the
body through the aorta.

12
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES
Heart valves ● The tricuspid valve which has three projections or cups is located
Heart valves between the right atrium and the right ventricle.
prevent the
● The bicuspid valve/mitral valve has two projections or cups and is
backflow of blood
located between the left atrium and the left ventricle.
or regulate the
flow of blood in a ● The opening of the left ventricle into the aorta and the opening of
single direction. the right ventricle into the pulmonary artery is guarded by semilunar
valves.

Double Circulation
The heart receives deoxygenated blood from different
parts of the body, and it pumps this blood to the lungs.
The oxygenated blood from the lungs returns to the
heart, which is pumped again into different parts of the
body by the heart. Thus, the blood passes twice
through the heart making one complete round through
the body. This is called double circulation.
The pulmonary circulation pertains to lungs. The blood
flows from the right ventricle to the lungs. Pulmonary
veins collect oxygenated blood from the lungs and
carry it back to the heart (left auricle).
The systemic circulation pertains to the major
circulation of the body. The aorta receives the blood
from the left ventricle and sends it to the various parts
of the body. Veins collect the deoxygenated blood from the body parts and pour it back into
the right auricle.
Blood Pressure

● Blood pressure is the pressure which the blood exerts on the walls of the blood vessels.
● The blood pressure in the arteries during ventricular systole is called systolic pressure,
and the blood pressure in the arteries during the ventricular diastole is called diastolic
pressure.
● A person’s blood pressure is usually expressed in systolic pressure over diastolic
pressure.
● The normal blood pressure for an adult human is 120/80 mm Hg.
● Blood pressure varies according to the age and health of a person.
● A sphygmomanometer is an instrument used to measure blood pressure.
● High blood pressure is also called hypertension, while low blood pressure is called
hypotension.
Blood Vessels

13
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES
● The blood vessels are tubes from which blood from the heart is carried to all parts of the
body and again brought back to the heart.
● There are three types of blood vessels.
Artery Vein Capillaries
An artery is a blood vessel A vein is a vessel which A capillary is a very narrow
which carries blood away carries the blood away from blood vessel which is located
from the heart towards an organ towards the heart. within the tissue.
any organ.
It has elastic and thick It has thin muscular walls. It has an extremely thin wall.
muscular walls.
Narrow cavity through Broad cavity through which -
which the blood flows. the blood flows.
- The veins have valves which The arteries branch to form
prevent the backflow of arterioles, and arterioles break
blood. up into capillaries.
The largest artery is the - The capillaries gradually
aorta. reunite to form venules.
Venules further combine to
form veins.
- - Capillaries allow the exchange
of materials such as nutrients,
metabolic wastes and
respiratory gases between the
blood and cells.

14
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES

Maintenance by platelets
Naturally the loss of blood from the system has to be minimised. In addition, leakage would
lead to a loss of pressure which would reduce the efficiency of the pumping system. To avoid
this, the blood has platelet cells which circulate around the body and plug these leaks by
helping to clot the blood at these points of injury.

Lymph and Lymphatic System

● As the blood flows through capillaries, the water, dissolved substances and a few white
blood cells pass through the capillary walls into the spaces between the cells, i.e.
intercellular spaces. This fluid is called tissue fluid.
● White blood cells in the lymph protect the body against diseases.
● The lymphatic system carries excessive tissue fluid back to the blood.
Heart in Other Vertebrates

15
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES

Transportation in Plants
● Transportation in plants is the process by which a substance, absorbed or synthesised in
one part of the plant, is transported to the other parts of the plant.

● Substances transported by the transport system are water, mineral and food prepared
by plants.

1. Xylem

● It conducts water upwards in a plant.

● Xylem also provides strength to the stem and helps the plant to stand upright.
● It is located in the centre of the plant body.
● Xylem mainly consists of tracheids and vessels.
Mechanism of Transport of Water and Minerals
A.
● Water enters the root hair through osmosis, and mineral ions enter the root cells by
active transport.
● Both water and minerals move upward from cell to cell through the cortex of the
root by osmosis.
● From the cortex, water and minerals are brought to the xylem.

16
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES
● The sap which contains water and dissolved minerals move upwards from the root
cells to xylem. The upward movement of sap is called the ascent of sap.
● The xylem vessels of the roots are in continuation with the xylem vessels of the stem.
B.

● Transpiration is the loss of water in the form of water vapour from the aerial parts of
a plant.

● It occurs through openings called stomata.

● Water loss through evaporation lowers the concentration of water inside the
mesophyll cells.

● Due to this, water enters mesophyll cells from neighbouring xylem vessels through
osmosis.

● As water evaporates from the leaves, a suction force is created. This force helps to
draw more water up through the stem which causes the roots to absorb more water
from the soil.

● Higher the rate of transpiration, greater the rate of absorption of water and solutes
from the soil.

● Transpiration also helps in maintaining the temperature of the plant body.

2. Phloem

● It conducts manufactured food from the leaves to different parts of the plant.

● The food in the phloem can move in the upward and downward directions.

● Phloem mainly consists of sieve tube cells and companion cells.

● Sieve tubes are living cells of the phloem. They contain cytoplasm but no nucleus.

17
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES
● The end walls of the cells form sieve plates.

● Sieve plates have small pores in them which allow food to pass through the phloem.

● Each sieve tube cell has a companion cell next to it.

Mechanism of Transport of Water and Minerals

● Food synthesised during photosynthesis is loaded into sieve tubes by utilising ATP.

● The presence of food inside the phloem develops the concentration gradient for
water. Thus, water enters the phloem by osmosis.

● Osmosis develops high pressure inside the phloem which transports the food from
the phloem to plant parts where the concentration of food is less.

● This process is called translocation.

● In spring, the sugar stored in the root or stem tissues is transported to the buds.
Xylem and phloem constitute the conducting tissues and are known as vascular tissues.
Excretion
organisms get rid of gaseous wastes generated during photosynthesis or respiration. Other
metabolic activities generate nitrogenous materials which need to be removed. The
biological process involved in the removal of these harmful metabolic wastes from the body
is called excretion. Different organisms use varied strategies to do this. Many unicellular
organisms remove these wastes by simple diffusion from the body surface into the
surrounding water.
Excretion is the removal of harmful and unwanted substances, especially nitrogenous
wastes, from the body.
Excretion in Human Beings

18
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES

Human Urinary System

The human urinary system consists of-
Pair of kidneys
● Dark red, bean-shaped, 10 cm long, 6 cm wide.
● The right side of the kidney is slightly lower in position due to the
presence of the liver.
Pair of ureters ● Ureters are tube-like structures which arise from the notch, i.e.
the hilum of each kidney.
● The ureters connect behind with the urinary bladder.
● The ureters carry the urine produced to the urinary bladder.

Urinary bladder ● Muscular sac-like structure.

● It stores urine temporarily.
● Its opening is guarded by muscular sphincters.
● The sphincters open at the time of micturition (urination).

Urethra ● Short muscular tube which expels urine out of the body.
● The urethra is long in males and is very short in females.
● The opening is guarded by sphincters which open at the time of
urination.

Uriniferous Tubule

19
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES

Uriniferous Tubule
● Each kidney is composed of an enormous number of uriniferous tubules.
● They are also known as nephrons, renal tubules or kidney tubules.
● Uriniferous tubules are the structural and functional units of the kidney.

Malpighian Tubule

● Each nephron has a Malpighian body and body of tubules.

● Malpighian body is nothing but a cup-shaped Bowman’s capsule. In its cup-shaped
depression, a tuft of blood capillaries called glomerulus is situated.
● The body of tubules contains proximal convoluted tubule (PCT), loop of Henle and distal

20
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES
convoluted tubule (DCT).

Approximately 2 million uriniferous tubules are present in both the

kidneys. Each single uriniferous tubule is 4 to 5 cm long.
The great length of the uriniferous tubule provides a large surface area for the
reabsorption of usable substances such as water.
Blood flow through the kidneys per minute = 1 litre
Glomerular filtrate produced in 24 hours = 160 litre
Urine produced from the glomerular filtrate after reabsorption per day = 1.2 litre

● DCT opens into the collecting duct.

Formation of Urine
The process of urine formation occurs in two major steps.
Ultrafiltration

● The efferent arteriole is narrower than the afferent arteriole which develops a hydrostatic
pressure on the blood.
● Thus, the blood flows through the glomerulus with a great pressure.
● Due to the pressure, the liquid part of the blood filters out from the glomerulus and
passes into the Bowman’s capsule.
● The glomerular filtrate consists of water, urea, salts, glucose and other plasma solutes.
● Blood corpuscles, proteins and other large molecules remain behind in the glomerulus.
● Therefore, the blood carried away by the efferent arteriole is relatively thick.
Reabsorption
● The glomerular filtrate entering the renal tubule contains many useful substances.
● Hence, as the filtrate passes down the tubule, water and other substances required by
the body are reabsorbed.
● Potassium ions and certain substances such as penicillin are passed into the forming
urine through the distal convoluted tubule (DCT).
● The cells of the walls of DCT are involved in bringing potassium ions and other
substances back into the renal tubule; hence, this process is known as tubular secretion.
Urine Excretion
● The filtrate left after reabsorption and tubular secretion is called urine.
● The urine passes from the collecting duct into the pelvis of the kidney. From there it is
sent to the urinary bladder through the ureters.

21
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES
● By relaxing the sphincters present at the opening of the urethra, the urine is expelled
from the body. This process is known as micturition or urination.
Artificial Kidney

If one kidney is damaged or removed, then the other kidney alone can fulfil excretory
needs.

● However, the failure of both the kidneys allows urea and other wastes to accumulate in
the blood.
● Such a patient undergoes dialysis.
● In dialysis, an artificial kidney is used.
● The artificial kidney contains tubes with a semi-permeable lining.
● These tubes are suspended in a tank filled with a dialysing solution.
● This fluid contains water and glucose in concentrations similar to those in blood.
● The patient’s blood is led from the radial artery through the tubes of the artificial kidney
where excess salts and urea are removed.
● The purified blood is returned through a vein in the same arm.
● The function of dialysis is similar to the function of the kidney, but the only difference is
there is no reabsorption during dialysis.
Excretion in Plants
● Plants also produce several waste products during their life processes.
● The major waste products are water, carbon dioxide and oxygen produced during
respiration and photosynthesis.
● These wastes are excreted through the stomata and lenticels.

22
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES
● Plants store some waste products in leaves which fall off.
● Wastes such as gums and resins are stored in the old xylem.

23
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES

24
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES
Important Questions
⮚ Multiple Choice Questions:
1. The autotrophic mode of nutrition requires:
(a) carbon dioxide and water
(b) chlorophyll
(c) sunlight
(d) all of the above
2. The largest gland in human body is:
(a) liver
(b) gastric glands
(c) pancreas
(d) salivary glands.
3. Number of salivary glands found in man are:
(a) one pair
(b) two pairs
(c) three pairs
(d) five pairs
4. Pancreatic juice helps in the digestion of:
(a) proteins
(b) proteins and fats
(c) proteins and carbohydrates
(d) proteins, carbohydrates, and fats
5. ATP and NADP 2H are produced in:
(a) Mitochondria
(b) Chloroplast
(c) Peroxisomes
(d) Lysosomes
6. Oxygen evolved during photosynthesis comes from:
(a) water
(b) CO2
(c) soil
(d) atmosphere.

25
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES
7. Rate of photosynthesis is high in:
(a) orange light
(b) green light
(c) red light
(d) yellow light
8. The ultimate source of all metabolic energy on our earth is:
(a) green plants
(b) the sun
(c) O2
(d) O2 and H2O.
9. Light reaction takes place in:
(a) grana
(b) stroma
(c) mitochondria
(d) leucoplast.
10. Plants purify air by:
(a) transpiration
(b) photosynthesis
(c) respiration
(d) absorption of water

⮚ Very Short Question:

1. Name the term for transport of food from leaves to other parts of plants.
2. What process in plants is known as transpiration?
3. Name the tissue which transports soluble products of photosynthesis in a plant.
4. Name the tissue which transports water and minerals in a plant.
5. How do autotrophs obtain CO2 and N2 to make their food?
6. Which pancreatic enzyme is effective in digesting protein?
7. Which enzyme present in saliva breaks down starch?
8. What is the role of acid in our stomach?
9. What is the role of saliva in the digestion of food?
10. State the function of digestive enzymes.

⮚ Short Questions:

26
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES
1. (a) Name two different ways in which glucose is oxidized to provide energy in
various organisms.
(b) Write any two differences between the two ways of oxidation of glucose in
organisms.
2. What is the function of trachea? Why do the walls not collapse even when there is
less air in it?
3. Name any two digestive enzymes secreted in the human digestive system and write
their function.
4. How do they take up carbon dioxide and perform photosynthesis?
5. (a) What will happen to guard cells and the stomatal pore when water flows into
guard cells.
(b) How do plants transmit information from cell to cell?
6. What are the different ways in which glucose is oxidized to provide energy in various
organisms?
7. What is excretion? How do unicellular organisms remove their wastes?
8. What is internal energy reserve in plants? Do the animals have the same energy
reserve? Justify your answer.

⮚ Long Questions:
1. (a) List two differences between ‘holozoic nutrition’ and ‘saprophytic nutrition.
Give two examples each of these two types of nutrition.
(b) State the roles of liver and pancreas.
(c) Name the organ which performs the following functions in humans:

● Absorption of digested food

● Absorption of water.
(d) Explain the statement, “Bile does not contain any enzyme but it is essential for
digestion.”
2. (a) Draw a diagram to show the human alimentary canal and label on it the
following: Gall bladder,
Stomach. Name the longest part of the alimentary canal.
(b) Why is it necessary to separate oxygenated and deoxygenated blood in mammals
and birds?
3. (a) List three events that occur during the process of photosynthesis. State in brief
the role of stomata in this process.
(b) Describe an experiment to show that sunlight is essential for photosynthesis.

27
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES

⮚ Assertion Reason Questions:

1. For two statements are given- one labelled Assertion (A) and the other labelled
Reason (R). Select the correct answer to these questions from the codes (a), (b), (c)
and (d) as given below:
a. Both A and R are true, and R is correct explanation of the assertion.
b. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of the assertion.
c. A is true but R is false.
d. A is false but R is true.
Assertion: Ventricles have thicker walls than auricles.
Reason: Ventricles have to pump blood into various organs with great pressure.
2. For two statements are given- one labelled Assertion (A) and the other labelled
Reason (R). Select the correct answer to these questions from the codes (a), (b), (c)
and (d) as given below:
a. Both A and R are true, and R is correct explanation of the assertion.
b. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of the assertion.
c. A is true but R is false.
d. A is false but R is true.
Assertion: Ureters are the tubes which carry urine from kidneys to the bladder.
Reason: Urine is stored in the urethra.

⮚ Case Study Questions:

1. Read the following and answer any four questions from (i) to (v).
Heterotrophic nutrition is a mode of nutrition in which organisms obtain
readymade organic food from outside sources. The organisms that depend upon
outside sources for obtaining organic nutrients are called heterotrophs.
Heterotrophic nutrition is of three types: saprophytic, parasitic, and holozoic
nutrition.
i. In which of the following groups of organisms’ food material is broken outside the
body and absorbed?
a. Mushroom, green plants, Amoeba.
b. Yeast, mushroom, bread mould.
c. Paramecium, Amoeba, Cuscuta.
d. Cuscuta, lice, tapeworm.
ii. Which of the following is a parasite?
a. Yeast

28
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES
b. Taenia
c. Amoeba
d. Earthworm
iii. Which of the following is an example of saprotroph?
a. Grass
b. Mushroom
c. Amoeba
d. Paramecium
iv. Heterotrophic nutrition involves:
a. Production of simple sugar from inorganic compounds.
b. Utilisation of chemical energy to prepare food.
c. Utilisation of energy obtained by plants.
d. All of these.
v. ln Paramecium, food enters the body through:
a. Mouth
b. Pseudopodia
c. Cilia
d. Cytostome.
2. Read the following and answer any four questions from (i) to (v).
All living cells need nutrients, O2 and other essential substances. Also, the waste
and harmful substances need to be removed continuously for healthy functioning
of cells. So, a well-developed transport system is mandatory for living organisms.
Complex organisms have special fluids within their bodies to transport such
materials. Blood is the most commonly used body fluid by most of the higher
organisms. Lymph also helps in the transport of certain substances.
i. Which of the following does not exhibit phagocytic activity?
a. Monocytes.
b. Neutrophils.
c. Basophil.
d. Macrophage.
ii. Amount of blood corpuscles in changed in dengue fever. One of the common
symptoms observed in people infected with dengue fever is:
a. Significant decrease in RBC count.
b. Significant decrease in WBC count.
c. Significant decrease in platelets count.

29
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES
d. Significant increase in platelets count.
iii. Why are WBCs called soldiers of the body?
a. They are capable of squeezing out of blood capillaries.
b. They are manufactured in bone marrow.
c. They fight against disease causing germs.
d. They have granular cytoplasm with lobed nucleus.
iv. Name the blood cells, whose reduction in number can cause clotting disorder,
leading to excessive loss of blood from the body.
a. Erythrocytes.
b. Neutrophils.
c. Leucocytes.
d. Thrombocytes.
v. Which of the following is the correct feature of lymph?
a. It is similar to the plasma of blood but is colourless and contains less
proteins.
b. It is similar to the WBCs of blood but is colourless and contain more proteins.
c. It is similar to the RB Cs of blood and red in colour.
d. It contains more fats.

Answer Key-

30
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES

⮚ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. (d) all of the above
2. (a) liver
3. (c) three pairs
4. (d) proteins, carbohydrates and fats
5. (a) Mitochondria
6. (a) water
7. (c) red light
8. (b) the sun
9. (a) grana
10. (b) photosynthesis

⮚ Very Short Answers:

1. Answer: Translocation of food.
2. Answer: It is loss of water in the vapour form from the exposed parts of a plant.
3. Answer: Phloem.
4. Answer: Xylem.
5. Answer: Autotrophs obtain CO2 from air and N2 as nitrate or ammonium ion from
soil.
6. Answer: Trypsin.
7. Answer: Ptyalin or salivary amylase.
8. Answer: HCl of gastric juice disinfects the food and acidifies it for proper
functioning of proteolytic enzyme pepsin.
9. Answer: Saliva moistens the ingested food with mucus, sterilizes it with lysozyme
and partially digests starch part of food into sugar with the help of salivary amylase
or ptyalin.
[Link]: Digestive enzymes are hydrolytic enzymes which cause breakdown of
complex and insoluble components of food into simple, soluble, and absorbable
substances.

⮚ Short Answer:
1. Answer:
(a) Aerobic and anaerobic.
(b) Differences
2. Answer: Trachea is a tube that connects pharynx with lungs for carrying air to and

31
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES
from lungs. Trachea is lined by ciliated mucus secreting pseudostratified
epithelium for trapping dust particles and microbes.
Trachea does not collapse in reduced air pressure due to support of C-shaped
cartilaginous rings.
3. Answer:

4. Answer: Carbon dioxide is absorbed during night when stomata are open. It is fixed
in malic acid from which the same is released during day time for performing
Calvin cycle in light.
5. Answer:
(a) Guard cells swell up and a stomatal pore is created in between them.
(b) Information is transmitted from one plant cell to another through
plasmodesmata and hormones.
6. Answer:
(i) Aerobic. C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + Energy
(ii) Anaerobic,
(a) C6H12O6 → 2 Ethanol + 2 CO2 + Energy.
(b) C6H12O6 → 2 Lactic acid + Energy
7. Answer: Excretion is the biological process of removal of harmful metabolic waste
products from the body.
In unicellular organisms, excretion occurs through simple diffusion from the
surface.
8. Answer: The major internal energy reserve in plants is starch (a complex
carbohydrate). Animals do not have the same energy reserve. Instead, they
possess glycogen (and fat).

⮚ Long Answer:
1. Answer:
(a) Differences between Holozoic Nutrition and Saprophytic Nutrition

32
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES

(b) Role of Liver: Decomposition of haemoglobin, formation and secretion of bile

for emulsification of fat. Formation of urea, heparin fibrinogen and prothrombin.
Detoxification of chemicals and elimination of pathogens.
Role of Pancreas: Secretion of pancreatic juice having lipase, trypsin and amylase;
secretion of hormones, insulin and glucagon.
(c) Absorption of Digested Food. Ileum part of small intestine.
Absorption of Water. Large intestine.
(d) Role of Bile in Digestion.
Breaking of fat into fine globules or emulsification,
Neutralisation of acidity and making food alkaline for action of pancreatic and
other enzymes.
2. Answer:

33
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES

Longest Part. Small intestine (about 6 meters).

(b) Separation of Oxygenated and Deoxygenated Bloods in Birds and Mammals.
Energy needs of birds and mammals are higher due to thermoregulation of body
and increased activity. They require regular and quicker supply of oxygenated
blood for all body parts. This is possible only when there is complete separation of
oxygenated blood and quicker oxygenation of deoxygenated blood.
3. Answer:
(a) Three Events of Photosynthesis: Information is transmitted from one plant cell
to another through plasmodesmata and hormones.
Role of Stomata in Photosynthesis. Inward diffusion of carbon dioxide and outward
diffusion of oxygen.
(b) Sunlight is Essential for Photosynthesis: It is the source of energy for
photosynthesis. Light is visible part of the electromagnetic radiations. It has a
wavelength of 390-760 nm. Photosynthetically active radiations or PAR are 400-
700 nm. Natural source of light is sun but artificial light can also provide energy to
plants for their photosynthesis. Plants absorb light mostly in violet-blue and red
parts of visible light. Violet-blue light carries more energy as compared to red light.
Plants growing under shade of others receive mostly green and some violet light.
They have lower rates of photosynthesis.

34
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES
Light has two functions, photolysis of water and excitation of chlorophyll to emit
electrons. Photolysis of water produces oxygen, protons, and electrons. Electrons
and protons (Hydrogen ions) help in producing ATP and NADPH2, popularly called
assimilatory power.

⮚ Assertion Reason Answer:

1. (a) Both A and R are true, and R is correct explanation of the assertion.
Explanation:
Ventricles are larger and thick-walled chambers of the heart. These act as distribution
chambers, as they supply blood to all parts of our body with high pressure.
2. A is true but R is false.
Explanation:
The bladder is a bag which stores urine till the time we go to toilet. The urine collected in
the bladder is passed out from the body through the urethra.

⮚ Case Study Answer:

1. i (b) Yeast, mushroom, bread mould.
Explanation:
Yeast, mushroom, and bread mould have a saprophytic mode of nutrition which is
chemoheterotrophic in nature. They breakdown complex organic substances by
secreting digestive enzyme outside their body and absorb simple molecules as
nutrients.
ii. (b) Taenia
iii. (b) Mushroom
iv. (c) Utilisation of energy obtained by plants.
Explanation:
Heterotrophic nutrition is mode of nutrition in which an organism depends on other
living organisms for food.
v. (d) Cytostome.
Explanation:
Feeding apparatus in Paramecium consists of peristome, vestibule, buccal cavity,
cytostome (cell mouth) and cytopharynx.
2. i (c) Basophil.
Explanation:
Basophiles release heparin, serotonin, and histamine. They are like mast cells of
connective tissue and are not phagocytic in nature.
ii. (c) Significant decrease in platelets count.

35
CHAPTER - 1 LIFE PROCESSES
iii. (c) They fight against disease causing germs.
Explanation:
WBCs manufacture antibodies, which fight against disease causing germs and are
responsible for immunity, thus called soldiers of the body.
iv. (d) Thrombocytes.
v. (a) It is similar to the plasma of blood but is colourless and contains less proteins.
Explanation:
Lymph is a colourless fluid, which contains blood plasma along with leucocytes and
have fewer proteins.

36