CHAPTER – 6
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 alive and
perform the job of body maintenance, are called life processes.
Kinds of nutrition
Autotrophic nutrition Heterotrophic nutrition
Kinds of nutrition in which inorganic materials like CO2, Kinds of nutrition in which organism do not possess
water [Link] utilized to prepare organic food by the the ability to synthesize their own food.
Process of photosynthesis. .Eg: Green plants. They depend on autotrophs for their food directly
or indirectly. Eg: Animals and Fungi.
Autotrophic nutrition
Photosynthesis Equation
Sunlight
6CO2+ 12H2O C6H12O6 +6 O2 + 6H2O
Chlorophyll
Main Events of Photosynthesis:
Absorption of light energy by chlorophyll
Conversion of light energy into chemical energy by splitting (breaking) of water into hydrogen
and oxygen.
Reduction of CO2 to carbohydrates
Photolysis of water
The process of splitting of water into 2H and O is called photolysis.
The source of Oxygen for product of photosynthesis is CO2 and by product of photosynthesis is
H2O
STOMATA: Tiny pores present on the surface of the leaves.
Draw and label open and closed stomatal pore.( Mechanism T.B Pg.: No.97)
Functions
(i) Exchange of gases O2/CO2
(ii) Loses large amount of water [water vapour] during transpiration.
Heterotrophic nutrition
Parasitic
Holozoic Saprophytic
Animals take in solid food Organisms feed on dead and decaying Organisms live
and break down of food takes place
inside the body. matter and breakdown of food takes inside or outside
Eg: Amoeba, animals place outside the body. Eg: Fungi the body of other
other organisms organisms(host) and
(Mushrooms and Moulds)
derive nutrition from it.
. Eg:Cuscuta, Tape worm
With the help of diagrams show the nutrition in amoeba.
T.B pg:no:98
NUTRITION IN HUMAN BEINGS
The human digestive system comprises of alimentary canal and associated digestive glands.
Digestive system in humans
Alimentary canal Digestive glands
1. Mouth: Intake of whole food Salivary gland: Secrete saliva and Mucus. The enzyme .
Called salivary amylase present in saliva converts starch into
Sugar.
Gastric juice
Teeth: Chewing/grinding of food.
e
Tongu:e: Rolling of food, tasting of Pepsin HCl Mucus
Food and swallowing or pushing Enzyme that break Makes the medium acidic Protects the
+ down protein into which facilitates the action inner lining
down of the food. amino acid of enzyme pepsin of stomach
Oesophagus: Taking food from mouth to stomach by
Peristaltic
stalsis(Rhythmic
movements(wave like movement caused by
contraction and expansion of muscles of the oesophagus
Stomach: Gastric glands produce gastric juice.
Small intestine: Receives secretions from pancreas and 1. Liver Bile Emulsifies fat(breaking
Liver. Inner lining of small intestine has finger like projections down of big globules of fat into tiny droplets)
Called villi which helps in absorption of food and increases the and makes food alkaline which facilitates the
Susurface area for absorption. action of pancreatic enzymes.
Large intestine: Absorb excess of water. The rest of the
Material is removed from the body through the anus. 2. Pancreas Pancreatic juice
Trypsin Lipase
Converts proteins Converts fat into
into amino acid fatty acid and
glycerol.
3. Intestinal juice secreted by the walls of small
intestine contains enzymes which finally
converts carbohydrates into glucose, proteins
into amino acid and fat into fatty acid and
glycerol.
Sphincter
The Muscles which regulates the exit of food from stomach to small intestine. The exit of waste material is regulated
by the anal sphincter.
RESPIRATION
Respiration involves:
Gaseous exchange: Intake of oxygen from the atmosphere and release of CO2- Breathing
Breakdown of simple food in order to release energy inside the cell –
Cellular respiration
Breakdown of Glucose by various pathways.
Taking food from mouth to stomach by
Peristaltic movements
[contraction and expansion of muscles of the oesophagus]
Gastric glands secrete Gastric juice
Takes place in the presence of oxygen. Takes place in the absence of oxygen
Occurs in mitochondria. Occurs in cytoplasm.
End products are CO2 and H2O.
End products are alcohol and lactic acid.
More amount of energy is released
Less amount of energy is released.
Transport of Oxygen and carbon dioxide inhuman being
Haemoglobin transports oxygen molecules to all the body cells for cellular respiration. The
haemoglobin present in the blood gets attached to oxygen molecules that are obtained from
breathing. It thus forms oxyhemoglobin and blood becomes oxygenated. This oxygenated
blood is then distributed to all the cells by the heart. After giving away oxygen to the body
cells, blood takes away carbon dioxide which is the end product of cellular respiration. Since
haemoglobin has less affinity for carbon dioxide, CO2is mainly transported in the dissolved
form. This deoxygenated blood gives carbon dioxide to lungs and takes O2 in return
Double circulation in human being.
A human heart is divided into four chambers – the right atrium, right ventricle, the left
. atrium and the left ventricle.
Flow of blood in the heart.
The heart has superior and inferior vena cava which carries de- oxygenated blood from the
upper and lower region s of the body respectively and supplies this de - oxygenated blood to
the right atrium of the heart.
The right atrium contract and passes the de – oxygenated blood to the right ventricle, through
an aperture.
Then the right ventricle contract and passes de- oxygenated blood into the two pulmonary
arteries, which pumps it to the lungs where the where the blood becomes oxygenated. From
the lungs, pulmonary veins transport the oxygenated blood left atrium of the heart.
Then the left atrium contracts, and through the aperture the oxygenated blood enters the left
ventricle.
The blood passes to aorta from the left ventricle. The aorta gives rise to many arteries that
distribute the oxygenated blood to all the regions of the body.
Importance of double circulation.
The separation of oxygenated and de- oxygenated blood allows a more efficient supply of
oxygen to the body cells. This efficient system oxygen supply is very useful in warm blooded
animals such as human beings. The warm blooded animals have to maintain a constant body
temperature by cooling themselves when they are in hot environment and by warming their
bodies when they are in cooler environment. Hence, they require more O2 for more
respiration. So that they can produce more energy to maintain their body temperature. Thus,
the circulatory system of humans is more efficient because of double circulatory heart.
Diagram
Sectional view of human heart.
Schematic representation of transport and exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide
Distinguish between
Alveoli Nephron
Alveoli are tiny balloon like structures present Nephrons are structures present inside the
inside the lungs kidney.
The walls of alveoli are one cell thick and it Nephrons are made of bowman’s capsule,
contains an extensive network of blood capillaries. glomerulus and collecting duct. It also contains
a cluster of thin walled capillaries.
Function Function
The exchange of O2 and CO2 takes place The blood enters the kidneys. Removal of
between the blood of capillaries that surround the nitrogenous wastes from glomerulus and
reabsorption of water, amino acid, glucose are
alveoli and gases present in the alveoli. selectively reabsorbed.
They are the site of gaseous exchange . They are the basic filtration unit.
Transport of materials in xylem Transport of materials in phloem
Xylem tissue helps in the transport of Phloem tissue help in the transport of
water and minerals. food
Water is transported upwards from roots to all Food is transported in both upward
Plant parts And downward direction
Transport of xylem occurs with the help of physical Transportation of food in phloem requires
energy in Forces such as osmotic pressure and the form of ATP.
suction pull.
Transportation of water and minerals in plants
The components of xylem tissues (tracheids and vessels) of roots stem and leaves are
interconnected to form a continuous system of water conducting channels that reaches all parts of
the plant. At roots cells in contact with the soil actively takes up ions. This creates a difference in
concentration of ions between the roots and the soil. Water, therefore moves into the roots from the
soil to eliminate the difference. Transpiration creates a suction pressure, as a result of which water
is forced into the xylem cells of the root. Then there is a steady movement of water from roots to
leaves through the interconnecting water conducting channels.
Transport of food in plants: (Mass flow hypothesis)
Materials like prepared food (sucrose) are transferred into phloem cells actively by utilizing
energy from ATP.
This increases the osmotic pressure in the phloem cells and hence water moves into it by
osmosis and a pressure created in it.
This pressure moves the material in these phloem cells to other phloem cells with less
pressure like phloem in root in a mass flow.
There the materials are removed for storing, using etc.
Mass flow also can happen for the stored place (eg: root) to stem tips when required.
EXCRETION
The process of the removal of the harmful metabolic wastes from the body.
Excretory system of human beings includes
A pair of kidneys
A pair of ureters
Urinary bladder
Urethra
a. Urine produced in the kidneys passes through the ureters into the urinary bladder where it is
stored until it is released through the urethra.
b. The purpose of making urine is to filter out waste product from the blood ie, urea which is
produced in the liver.
c. Each kidney has large numbers of filtration units called nephrons.
The Urine formation involves three steps
1. Glomerular Filtration: Nitrogenous wastes, glucose water, amino acid filter from the
blood into Bowman Capsule of the nephron.
[Link] reabsorption Now, useful substances from the filtrate are reabsorbed back by
capillaries surrounding the nephron.
[Link] Extra, water, salts are secreted into the tubule which open up into the
collecting duct & then into the
Ureter.
Hemodialysis: The process of purifying blood by an artificial kidney. It is meant for
Kidney failure patient.
Diagram
1. Excretory system in man human beings.
2. Structure of a nephron.
Excretion in plants
O2 and CO2 are removed from the leaves through stomata.
Excess water is removed by transpiration.
Other wastes may be stored in leaves, bark etc. which fall off from the plant.
Plants excrete some waste into the soil around them.
Gums, resins stored in old Xylem.
Some metabolic wastes in the form of crystals of Calcium oxalates in the leaves and
stem of some plants.
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