LIFE PROCESSES
What are Life Processes?
Life processes encompass a set of interconnected activities within an organism that
collectively contribute to its repair and maintenance. These crucial processes include
Respiration (R), Excretion (E), Nutrition (N), and Transportation (T), forming the acronym
RENT.
• Nutrition is the transformative process by which an organism acquires external sources of energy, commonly known as food,
and transfers it internally for sustenance and vitality.
• Respiration: The process of acquiring oxygen from outside the body, and using it in the process of break-down of food sources
for cellular needs, is called respiration.
• Transportation refers to the internal mechanism responsible for conveying nutrients and oxygen from one location to
another within the body.
• Excretion is the process through which the body eliminates and expels waste by-products, ensuring their removal from the
internal environment and subsequent disposal outside the organism.
NUTRITION
Modes of Nutrition
Living organisms exhibit two main modes of nutrition — Autotrophic and Heterotrophic.
Autotrophic Nutrition
Autotrophic nutrition is the mode of nutrition in which organisms prepare their own food from simple inorganic
substances such as carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water (H₂O) using an external energy source like sunlight.
Key Points:
1. Energy and Carbon Source:
Autotrophic organisms ful ll their carbon and energy requirements through the process of photosynthesis.
2. Process of Photosynthesis:
Photosynthesis is the process by which autotrophs absorb sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water, and convert them
into carbohydrates (food).
This process takes place in the presence of chlorophyll (the green pigment in plants).Storage of Food in Plants:
The extra carbohydrates produced during photosynthesis are stored as starch in different parts of the plant (like
leaves, roots, and stems).
3. Comparison with Animals:
In humans and animals, a portion of the energy derived from food is stored in the form of glycogen, which serves a
similar function to starch in plants.
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Events Occurring During Photosynthesis
The process of photosynthesis takes place in several key steps:
1. Absorption of Light Energy:
Chlorophyll absorbs light energy from the Sun.
2. Conversion of Energy:
The absorbed light energy is transformed into chemical
energy.
3. Photolysis of Water:
Water molecules are split into hydrogen and oxygen.
4. Reduction of Carbon Dioxide:
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is reduced to form carbohydrates
(food) using the hydrogen produced in the previous step.
Role of Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll plays a vital role in photosynthesis as it captures the sunlight necessary for the conversion of light energy into
chemical energy.
Iodine Test
When an iodine solution is applied to a leaf after photosynthesis, the regions where starch (food) has been formed turn blue-
black in color.
This con rms that photosynthesis has occurred in those regions.
How the Plant Obtains Carbon Dioxide
• Gaseous Exchange:
Leaves take in carbon dioxide (CO₂) and release oxygen (O₂) through tiny pores called stomata during photosynthesis.
• Other Surfaces:
Gaseous exchange also occurs across the surfaces of stems, roots, and leaves.
• Water Conservation:
When photosynthesis is not taking place, stomatal pores close to prevent excessive water loss (transpiration).
• Role of Guard Cells:
◦ The opening and closing of stomatal pores are controlled by guard cells.
◦ When guard cells absorb water, they swell and the stomata open.
◦ When guard cells lose water, they shrink and the stomata
close.
Stomata
•Stomata, pores on leaves, facilitate gas exchange.
•Predominantly located on the underside of leaves.
•Guard cells, regulating pore opening and closing, safeguard each stoma.
•The functionality of guard cells is in uenced by their water content.
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Single-celled organisms
•Amoeba engulfs food through temporary extensions of its cell surface,
creating a food-vacuole as these extensions merge over the food particle.
•Within the food-vacuole, complex substances undergo breakdown into
simpler ones, facilitating their diffusion into the cytoplasm.
•Undigested material is transported to the cell surface and expelled by
Amoeba.
•Paramecium, a unicellular organism, maintains a distinct shape and ingests food at a designated location.
•The entire cell surface, covered with cilia, facilitates the movement of food to the speci ed intake spot.
Nutrition in Human Beings
Alimentary Canal
• The alimentary canal is a lengthy tube running
from the mouth to the anus.
• Salivary glands secrete saliva, which contains
the enzyme salivary amylase that breaks down
complex starch into simple sugars.
• Muscles lining the canal contract rhythmically,
facilitating peristaltic movements that push
food forward throughout the digestive system.
Digestion in the Stomach
• Gastric glands within the stomach wall secrete:
◦ Hydrochloric acid (HCl)
◦ Enzyme pepsin
◦ Mucus
• Functions:
◦ Hydrochloric acid creates an acidic environment, enhancing the action of pepsin (a protein-
digesting enzyme).
◦ Mucus protects the inner lining of the stomach from the corrosive effects of acid.
◦ Pepsin helps in the digestion of proteins.
• The release of food from the stomach into the small intestine is regulated by a sphincter muscle, allowing
controlled passage in small amounts.
Length of the Small Intestine
• Herbivores (e.g., cow, deer) → Have a longer small intestine for digesting cellulose from plant material.
• Carnivores (e.g., tiger) → Have a shorter small intestine since meat is easier to digest.
Digestion in the Small Intestine
• The small intestine is the main site for the complete digestion of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
• Secretions from the liver and pancreas aid in digestion.
Bile Juice (from the Liver)
• Contains bile salts that emulsify fats, breaking large fat globules into smaller ones to increase enzyme
ef ciency.
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• The acidic food from the stomach becomes alkaline due to bile, which allows pancreatic enzymes to
work effectively.
Pancreatic Juice (from the Pancreas)
• Contains enzymes:
◦ Trypsin → Digests proteins.
◦ Lipase → Breaks down emulsi ed fats.
Intestinal Juice (from Intestinal Glands)
• Contains enzymes that:
◦ Convert proteins → amino acids
◦ Convert complex carbohydrates → glucose
◦ Convert fats → fatty acids and glycerol
Absorption of Food
• The inner lining of the small intestine has numerous nger-like projections called villi.
Functions of Villi:
• Increase the surface area for absorption.
• Richly supplied with blood vessels, which transport absorbed nutrients to all parts of the body.
Large Intestine
• Unabsorbed food passes into the large intestine.
• The walls of the large intestine absorb excess water from the waste material before it is eliminated from
the body.
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