LIFE PROCESSES

Life : Earth happens to be the only known planet having a life. There are beings who live, die
and become a part again. The living organisms can be differentiated from the in and emulate
entities on various parameters of life process.

Life Process :

 Maintenance of living organisms is essential ,Even if they are moving, resting or even
sleeping, since these maintenance processes are needed to prevent damage and
breakdown energy is needed for them. This energy comes outside the body of the
individual Organism.
 The process which together perform the function of maintenance of life are called life
process
 Nutrition, respiration, circulation, excretion, examples of essential life process,.
 In unicellular organism , all these processes are carried out by that single cell and in
multicellular Organism, well developed system are present to carry out the process.

NUTRITION

It is the process of transferring source of energy food from outside to inside the body of an
Organism for an maintaining living structure.

How do living things get their food?

 Some organisms use simple food material obtained from inorganic sources in the form
of carbon dioxide and water.
 Autotrophs include green plants and some bacteria.
 Other organisms utilize complex substances
 To achieve this organisms used biocatalyst called enzymes.
 The heterotrophs survival the elephants directly or indirectly on auto drop.
 Heterotroph organisms include animals and fungi.

Modes of nutrition

1- Autotrophic nutrition

It is mode of nutrition in which organisms, mainly green plants manufacture their food by
itself. This mode of nutrition is performed by organisms called Autotrophs

On the basis of source of energy:

1-Photosynthesis Autotrophs : Organisms which fulfill their carbon and energy requirement
by process of photosynthesis using sunlight source of energy
Example green plant

2- Chemosynthesis Autotrophs:

Organisms which utilize chemical energy to synthesize their organic materials (Food)

for example,-bacteria.

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

It is a complex process by which green plant green parts of the plant synthesize organic food
in the form of glucose form carbon dioxide and water in the presence of sunlight and
chlorophyll.

reaction

6CO2 +12H2O + sunlight chlorophyll C6H12O6 + 6H2O + 6O2

Carbohydrates ( glucose) are utilized for providing energy to the plant. Remaining glucose
which is not used are stored in the form of starch that serves as reserved energy.

Leaves are the major photosynthesis organs of a plant. Therefore, let's study about the
internal structure of a leaf.

Internal structure of leaf

Epidermis : outermost layer; parts –

Upper epidermis : It is a single layer of transparent cell with no chloroplast. It is covered by

a waxy cuticle, which protects internal leaf tissue by preventing excessive loss of water
through transpiration.

Lower epidermis: It contains stomata and helps in gaseous exchange and allows sunlight to
pass in leaves.

Stomata: These are tiny pores, mostly found in the lower epidermis of plant, which allows
gestures to enter and exit in the leaf more rapidly between plant and atmosphere .

Guard cells : These are bean shaped cells that frame the stomatal opening .hence, they
control the rate of diffusion of water and gases in and out of leaf.

Chloroplast : The green coloured plastids contained in leaves are called chloroplast. They
are the site of photosynthesis as they contain green pigment called chlorophyll which traps
solar energy from sun. They are just below epidermis. It is present as dot like structure on
leave.

Events of photosynthesis : Absorption of light by chlorophyll.

 Conversion of light energy into chemical energy and splitting of water molecules into
hydrogen and oxygen.

Reduction of carbon dioxide to carbohydrates.

Conditions necessary for photosynthesis

(1) Sunlight: It affects the rate of photosynthesis by varying intensity, quality, etc.
Example
(a ) Rate of photosynthesis is minimum when light is green.
(b) Rate of photosynthesis is maximum when light is red or blue.
(2) CHLOROPHYLL : Green colour photosynthetic pigment found in chloroplast
that is responsible for trapping the solar energy from sun.

fig 1-cross section of a leaf

Raw materials required for photosynthesis
CO2 - It is taken up through stomata from the atmosphere in case of land plants,
while in aquatic plants take up CO2 dissolved in water.
Water -it is taken up by the roots through the process of osmosis and its transported
to the lifts by Xylem vessels.
Other materials -nitrogen, iron and magnesium are also required for photosynthesis
takes up from soil
Significance of photosynthesis:
It is not only sustains plants but indirectly provides nutrition and oxygen to other
organisms as well as it provides;
 (A) Food -Green plants synthesize food from raw materials for themselves and other
organisms and thus sustain life on Earth.
(B) Oxygen - In process of photosynthesis, oxygen releases in air which is used by
other organisms.

Heterotrophic nutrition

In this mode of nutrition, organisms cannot prepare their own food on their own. They
instead obtain from other organisms: Types

1- holozoic nutrition: Complex food molecules are taken in and then broken down into
simpler and soluble molecules in this type of nutrition. For example, Amoeba, human
being ,herbivores, carnivores and omnivores posses this mode of nutrition.
2- Saprophytic nutrition -in this ,Organism usually feed upon dead and decay organic
matter breaking down complex material outside body and absorb it. For example,
fungi, yeast, etc.
3- Parasitic nutrition -in this, Organism live either on or inside the body of Organism
(host) to obtain nutrition without killing them. Ex Amarbel

NUTRITION IN AMOEBA

Amoeba is a unicellular Organism that does not possess specialized organs for the process of
nutrition. Mode of nutrition is holozoic and takes place with the help of Pseudopodia Process

Ingestion : Pseudopodia engulfs the food, comes in contact with its cell surface and form
food vacoule. This process is called injection
Digestion: It is intracellular (takes place inside the cell) in Amoeba. Inside the food vacuole
complex, food is broken down into small soluble molecules.

Absorption: Small soluble molecules are then readily absorbed by cytoplasm. This process
is called absorption

Assimilation :The absorbed food is farther assimilated by amoeba to use energy for growth

Ejection : The undigested food material is removed by cell membrane which ruptures
suddenly at any place and eliminated out the undigested food which is known as egestion.

NUTRITION IN HUMAN BEINGS

Digestion is a catabolic process in which complex and large components of food are broken
down into simpler and smaller forms with the help of enzymes. These are simpler parts are
taken by different parts of body and absorbed. Entire system is known as digestive system.
Mechanism of Digestion of food

INGESTION - It means taking in food into mouth or buccal cavity. As the food enters the
mouth, it is moistened by saliva and moved around in mouth in order to make chewing and
swallowing easy by tongue. Food is converted to small particles by teeth.

Digestion -As food is complex in nature.,So it is converted into its simpler form by the action
of biological catalysts called enzymes. This process of breaking down of large organic
molecules (like carbohydrates), too small molecules (like simple sugar) is called a digestion

Absorption- It is the process by which digested food passes from alimentary canal into the
blood. All the digested food is taken up by the walls of intestine, the inner surface of small
intestine has numerous villi and lacteals which increase the surface area of intestine and help
in absorption of digested food.
Assimilation –It is the process of distribution of digested food products to various cells of the
body for their utilization in various metabolic process. The villi in small intestine are richly
supplied with blood vessels which take the absorbed food to each and every cell of body to
building new cells or repair the older ones.

Egestion - The process of elimination of undigested food formed in the colon of the large
intestine through anus is called egestion

Peristaltic movement: contraction and expansion of muscles of the oesophagus to push the
food forward.

Tooth decay.

The tooth decay in mouth occurs due to the formation of plaque. It occurs when bacterial
cells act upon the food particles containing sugar and produce acids that soften the enamel.
Brushing of teeth after eating is one of the treatment.
 RESPIRATION

It is the process by which food is oxidised to release energy. For this oxygen is required from
outside of the body to breakdown the food. The organic substances undergoing oxidative
breakdown during respiration are called respiratory substances, for example glucose

Type of respiration

1- Aerobic respiration: It is described as the process in which fairly large amount of

energy is released in the presence of oxygen from the breakdown of food substances.
Glucose pyruvate + energy 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + 38 ATP

C6H12O6 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + ENERGY

This process starts in cytoplasm and continues in the mitochondria of cell. Each
glucose molecule releases 38 ATP molecules. Water and glucose are waste products.
The energy released is utilized in other life processes.
2-Anaerobic respiration : It is described as the respiratory process in which small
amount of energy is released in absence of oxygen from breakdown of food
substances. It takes place in yeast, bacteria and in human muscles. Only two
molecules of ATP are released
Types
A) Alcoholic fermentation : It is the process of incomplete breakdown of sugar into
ethanol and CO2 to release energy. This process occurs mainly in yeast which is
used to produce beer, urine etc. Equation

Glucose Pyruvate + energy 2 Ethanol + 2CO2 + 2ATP

B)- Lactic fermentation :
it is a process of incomplete breakdown of sugar into lactic acid plus + energy in
some bacteria and in our muscle cells.

Different stages of respiration

1-External Breathing
A)- Breathing: It is the process of taking in required gas and giving out
unrequired gases. It has two types of inhalation and Exhalation, for example
human beings, takes in O2 and gives out CO2.
B)- Exchange of gases It involves diffusion of oxygen from lungs to blood and
carbon dioxide from blood to lungs. In plants, Gaseous exchange takes place
through the stomata of leaf with the environmental
1 Internal breathing- it is gaseous exchange between arterial blood and cells.
A)-Cellular respiration- It is the process of breakdown of glucose on other
respiratory substrate in the cell to produce energy for performing various
functions.

Mechanism of gaseous exchange in humans

The phenomenon of taking oxygen is termed as inspiration engaging and of giving
out carbon dioxide is termed as expiration.
Breaking or gaseous exchange in human involves three steps.
1- Inhalation : when we breathe in, air passes through trachea and ribs move up
and flatten the diaphragm, due to which the chest cavity becomes larger. As a
result, air is sucked into the lungs. and fills the expanded alveoli
2- Gaseous exchange : Haemoglobin binds with the oxygen and carries along it
along the blood in the body. As the blood passes through the tissue of the
body, oxygen from the blood diffuses into the cell and carbon dioxide, which
is produced as waste products during respiration diffuses into blood and is
carried back to lungs for expiration.
3- Expiration - Ribs moves down and diaphragm becomes Dome shaped,
decreasing the chest cavity ,thus pushing the air out from lungs.
 Complete pathway
Nostrils nasal passage Pharynx larynx
trachea lungs bronchi bronchioles alveoli
blood cells
Parts

1- TRACHEA : The air passes from it. Rings of the cartilage keep Trachea
open, allowing the passage of air to lungs and also prevent it from
collapsing when there is not air in it.
2- Bronchi - Trachea divides into two smaller tubes on entering air into the
lungs.
3- Bronchioles : bronchi has sub-divided into smaller branches are called
bronchioles. Each bronchial is finally terminated into many alveoli.
4- Alveoli :These are balloon like structures which increases the surface area
for gaseous exchange in lungs.
5- Diaphragm :Movement in diaphragm helps in breathing.

TRANSPORTATION

It is the life process in which a substance absorbed is transported from one body part to other
parts

In human beings

Blood : It is red coloured fluid connective tissue which circulates in our body.

It's red colour is due to the presence of a pigment called haemoglobin in its red cells.

The deficiency of haemoglobin in our body is referred to as Anaemia.

Blood

oxygenated Deoxygenated
:Oxygen is attached to the CO2 and little oxygen is attached
to

haemoglobin of blood. haemoglobin of blood.

Maintenance of platelets : In case of any injury when bleeding occurs, the loss of blood
from the system has to be minimized ,as it leads to loss of pressure pumping system. To
prevent this, the platelet circulates around the body help in clotting of blood at the site of
injury.

Functions of blood :

1-Transport of excretory products : Nitrogenous waste like urea, uric acid and ammonia
are collected from the tissue and are transmitted to kidney for their removal.

2- Transport of oxygen: Haemoglobin present in RBC combines with oxygen from

lungs and transport to all tissues of body for respiration
3- Transport of CO2 : CO2 Generated as waste products during respiration is
transported by blood and haemoglobin attached to it to lungs where it is eliminated.
4 -Clotting of blood -Platelets present in blood form a clot at the site of the injury to
prevent loss of blood.
5 Protection from disease :The WBCs engulfs disease causing microbes and is known
as soldiers of body.

ARTERIES VEINS CAPILLARIES

They are thick walled They are thin walled and They have walls that are
valves only one cell thick
Carries blood from Carries blood from Allows exchange of
heart to different different organs to the materials between blood
organs of the body heart and surrounding cells
Situated very deep into the Situated superficially on Situated in the terminals of
skin skin artery on veins

HEART
It is pumping machine that pushes out the blood into the blood vessels and from these
two different parts of the body. It has four chambers separated by septum which
prevent mixing of pure and pure blood
Chambers.
1 - Atrium (upper chambers). :There are two atrium separated by septum (dividing
walls).
2- ventricle (lower chambers) : The Two inferior chambers of the heart are right and
left ventricles.
z

FLOW OF BLOOD IN HUMANS

Human have double circulation, which means that blood goes through heart to supply blood
once around the body

Process

1-Pulmonary circulation : The movement of blood from heart to lungs and back to heart
constitutes, pulmonary circulation

Right ventricle pushes the blood to lungs for oxygenation via pulmonary arteries
 The oxygenated blood comes back to left atrium of heart through pulmonary veins

The left atrium then pushes blood to left ventricle.

3- Systematic circulation : The movement of blood from heart to various places of

body except lungs and back to heart.

As the blood fills in the left ventricle, the blood is pushed out.

The blood is pumped to whole body via aorta.

The deoxygenated blood enter into right atrium via vena cava from lower body.

 Double circulated is considered as it prevents mixing of oxygenated and

deoxygenated blood.

Blood pressure :
 The pressure at which blood is pumped around the body by heart is called
blood pressure.
 The maximum pressure at which blood leaves the heart through main artery
during contraction phase is called a systolic pressure.
 The mini. pressure in arteries during relaxation phase of heart is cold as
diastolic pressure.
Normal systolic - 120 mm Hg
Diastolic 80mm Hg .
 It is measured by instrument sphygmomanometer.
 High blood pressure is called as hypertension.
Lymph
It is another type of fluid found in our body which is involved in our transportation
Formation : It is formed when some amount of plasma, proteins and blood cells
escape into intracellular space through pores present in capillaries.
Function :
 It is involved in transportation substances where blood vessels do not reach
 lymph carries digested and absorbed fat from intestine and drains excess fluid from
extracellular space back into the blood.
Lymph capillaries : lymph from intracellular spaces chains into lymph capillaries
which further joined to form large lymph vessels that finally opens into larger veins.
They are thin walled.

Some difference between blood and lymph

BLOOD LYMPH
it is red in colour it is colourless
Haemoglobin is present Haemoglobin is absent
. It transports materials from one organ to It transport materials from tissue into
another organ blood
 Some difference between lymph capillaries and blood capillaries
Lymph capillaries Blood capillaries,
They are colourless they are red in colour,
they carry lymph they carry blood
they are wider they are narrower

Transportation in plants

Ques How are water and minerals transported in Plants?

Water and minerals are transported through xylem in plants. The cells in roots that are
in contact with soil actively take up ions, creating a difference in concentration of ions
between root and soil.

Water moves into root to eliminate this difference of concentration forming a steady
movement of water in root xylem. This creates a column of water that is steadily pushed
upwards. Further, transpiration of water from leaves creates a partial vacuum that pulls
water from xylem of roots to leaves and other parts.

Ques How is food transported in plants?

The transportation of food is done by phloem by utilizing energy (ATP). The transport
of soluble products (sugar) of photosynthesis from leaves to other parts of plant is
known as translocation. Pressure generated by osmotic pressure allows movement of food
from phloem to tissue which have less pressure.

Excretion
It is a biological process by which an Organism removes harmful metabolic waste from the
body
Types of organisms
1- unicellular organism : These organism get rid of waste products by diffusing it into
surrounding through general body ex amoeba , paramecium
2- multicellular Organism : These organism get rid of waste products by specialized
organ for function of excretion

Function of kidneys
 It helps in removing excess water from body and autonomous waste from blood in
form of urine.
 Regulates the pH of blood
Excretion in human being
The main function of human excretory system is to remove nitrogenous waste such as urea
from the body
Kidney : the main organ of excretory system. It is reddish brown and bean shaped structure.
The left kidney is placed higher than the right. It is caused by liver
Nephrons - It is basic filtering unit formed in kidney. It is long coiled tubular whose one
end is connected to cup shaped structure called Bowman's capsule contain bundle of blood
capillaries called Glomerulus that is followed by tubular part of nephrons and loops at some
places
functioning :-
 Glomerulus filters the blood passing through it.
 It also ensures to remove only handful substances from the body that include waste
materials.
 The useful substances like glucose, amino acids, salt and major amount of water is
selectively reabsorbed by tubular part of Nephron.
 Some substances like potassium(K+), are actively secreted into burning through
tubule.
 The collected dust collects the urine, collects the urine and passes it to ureter.
Excretion in plants
 gaseous products i.e., carbon dioxide and oxygen are removed through stomata in
leaves and lenticles in stems to the air .
 plant, get rid of excess water by transpiration.
 Some waste products are stored as resins and gums
 Plants also excrete some waste into soil around them.
 Waste products also stored in leaves which fall off
useful waste- essential oils, gums, oxygen (during daytime).