Chapter 6
Life Processes
● All living things perform certain life processes like
growth, excretion, respiration, circulation etc.
● The basic functions performed by living organisms for
their survival and body maintenance are called life
process.
Basic life processes are : Nutrition, Respiration, Transportation, Excretion
[Link] Processes require energy which is provided by nutrition.
Modes of Nutrition
1. Autotrophic :-Kind of nutrition in which organisms
can synthesize their own food Eg. Green Plants
2. Heterotrophic:- Kind of nutrition of which
organisms do not possess the ability to synthesize
their own food. They depend on autotrophs for their
food supply directly or indirectly. Eg. Animals, Fungi
Autotrophic Nutrition
● Autotrophs : The organisms which can make their
own food are called autotrophs (green plants).
● Photosynthesis : The process by which green
plants make their own food with the help of CO and
H O in the presence of chlorophyll and sunlight is
also called photosynthesis.
● Raw Materials for Photosynthesis :
● Site of Photosynthesis : Chloroplast in the leaf.
Chloroplast contain chlorophyll. (green pigment).
● Main Events of Photosynthesis
Absorption of Sunlight energy by chlorophyll
to carbohydrates.
● Stomata : Tiny pores present on the surface of the
leaves.
● Functions of Stomata
● (i) Exchange of gases
● (ii) Loses large amount of water [water vapour]
during transpiration and helps in up flow of water
Chloroplast contains the green pigment chlorophyll which has a
pivotal role in photosynthesis.
● Nutrition in Animals
● Nutrition in Amoeba
Amoeba has a holozoic nutrition. Thus, solid food particles are
ingested which react with enzymes and are digested. It is an
omnivore.
(i) Amoeba move with the help of pseudopodia (extension of
cell membrane)
(ii) Food vacule is formed
(iii) Undigested food is thrown out.
Nutrition in Human Beings : The human digestive
●
system comprises of alimentary canal and associated
digestive glands.
HUMAN DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
HUMAN DIGESTIVE SYSTEM: As shown in the flow chart,
digestion begins from th [Link] the mouth it is broken down
by salivary amylase. The food moves to the stomach through
the oesophagus which performs persistatic movement.
Enzymes and various digestion juices from liver,gall bladder
and pancreas act on the chunks from the stomach in the small
intestine. In the large intestine , the remaining nutrients are
absorbed and the leftover is removed from the body through
the rectum and anus.
Respiration
It is a process in living organisms involving the production of
energy, typically with the intake of oxygen and the release of
carbon dioxide from the oxidation of complex organic
substances.
(i) Gaseous exchange : Intake of oxygen from the atmosphere
and release of carbondioxide.
(ii) Breakdown of simple food in order to release energy inside
the CellularRespiration
● Breakdown of Glucose by various pathways
● Respiration
● Human Respiratory System : Passage of air
through the respiratory system.
● Mechanism of Breathing
● Exchange of Gases between alveolus, blood
and tissues.
● Terrestrial Organism – use atmospheric oxygen for
respiration
● Aquatic Organisms – use oxygen dissolved in
water.
● Respiration in Plants : Respiration in plants is
simpler than the respiration in animals. Gaseous
exchange occur through
1. Stomata in leaves
2. Lenticels in stems
3. General surface of the roots.
Transportation
1. Human beings like other multicellular organism need
regular supply of food, oxygen etc., This function is
performed by circulatory system or Transport
system.
2. The circulatory system in human beings consists of :
Section view of the Human Heart
● Double Circulation : Blood travels twice through
the heart in one complete cycle of the body.
● Pulmonary circulation : blood moves from
the heart to the hugs and back the heart.
● Systemic circulation :blood moves from the
heart to rest of the body and back to the
heart.
● Lymph – a yellowish fluid that escapes from the
blood capillaries into the intercellular spaces. Lymph
flows from the tissues to the heart assisting in
transportation and destroying germs.
● Transportation in Plants : There are two main
conducting tissues in a plant.
(a) Xylem (b) Phloem.
● Transpiration is the process by which plants lose
water in the form of vapours.
● Role of Transpiration
1. Absorption and upward movement of water and
minerals by creating PULL.
2. Helps in temperature regulation in Plant.
● Translocation : Transport of food from leaves (food
factory) to different part of the plant is called
Translocation.
● Excretion in human beings : The process of the
removal of the harmful metabolic wastes from the
body is called excretion. Excretory system of human
beings includes :
1. A pair of kidney
2. A Urinary Bladder
3. A pair of Ureter
4. A Urethera
● Process of Excretion
Renal artery bring in blood containing waste
substances to the kidneys.
Kidney filters blood.
Urine produced in the kidneys passes through the
ureters into the urinary bladder where it is stored
until it is released through the urethera.
● Function of Kidney : It is remove waste product
from the blood i.e., urea which is produced in the
liver.
● Nephron : Each kidney has a large number of
filtration units called nephrons.
Nephron is the structural and functional unit of
Kidney.
● Mechanism of Urine Formation : The Urine
formation involves three steps:
● Glomerular Filtration : Blood is filtered from the
glomerulus into Bowman Capsule of the nephron.
This filtrate passes through the tubules of the
nephron.
● Tubular re-absorption : Now, useful substances
from the filtrate Like , glucose, amino acids
etc. are reabsorbed by the capillaries surrounding the
nephron into the blood.
● Secretion : Urea, extra water and salts are secreted
into the tubule which open up into the collecting duct
& then into the ureter.
● Haemodialysis: The process of purifying blood by
an artificial kidney. It is meant for Kidney failure
patient.
Excretion in Plants
1. Oxygen released during photosynthesis.
2. by transpiration
3. Wastes may be stored in leaves, bark etc. which fall off from
the plant.
4. Waste products stored as gums, resin in old Xylem
5. Plants excrete some waste into the soil around them.