LIFE PROCESSES - NUTRITION

Nutrition: The process by which an organism takes food and utilizes it, is called nutrition.
Need for Nutrition: Organisms need the energy to perform various activities. The energy is supplied by the
nutrients. Organisms need various raw materials for growth and repair. These raw materials are provided
by nutrients.
Nutrients: Materials which provide nutrition to organisms are called nutrients.
They are of two types i.e. Macronutrients and Micronutrients.
Macronutrients- Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are required in large amount and therefore they are
called macronutrients.
Micronutrients- Minerals and vitamins are required in small amounts and hence are called as
micronutrients.
Modes of Nutrition
1. Autotrophic Nutrition.
2. Heterotrophic Nutrition.

1. Autotrophic Nutrition (‘auto’ means ‘self’ and ‘trophe’ means ‘nutrition’) :- The mode of
nutrition in which an organism prepares its own food is called autotrophic nutrition. Eg. Green plants
and blue-green algae.
The organisms which carry out autotrophic nutrition are called autotrophs (green plants).

Autotrophic nutrition is fulfilled by the process called as photosynthesis.

Nutrition in Plants: Green plants prepare their own food. They make food in the presence of sunlight.
Sunlight provides energy, carbon dioxide and water are the raw materials and chloroplast is the site where
food is made.
Photosynthesis: The process by which green plants prepare food is called photosynthesis.
• During this process, the solar energy is converted into chemical energy and carbohydrates are formed.
• The whole process of photosynthesis can be shown by the following equation:

Raw Materials for Photosynthesis:

• Sunlight
• Chlorophyll: Sunlight absorbed by chloroplast
• CO2: Enters through stomata, and oxygen (O2) is released as a byproduct through stomata on the leaf.
• Water: Water + dissolved minerals like nitrogen, phosphorous etc., are taken up by the xylem tissue of
roots from the soil.
Site of Photosynthesis: Chloroplast in the leaf. Chloroplast contains chlorophyll (green pigment).
Main Events of Photosynthesis:
• Absorption of light energy by chlorophyll.
• Conversion of light energy into chemical energy + splitting (breaking) of water into hydrogen and oxygen.
• Reduction of CO2 to carbohydrates.

• Sunlight activates chlorophyll, which leads to splitting of the water molecule. The hydrogen, released by
the splitting of a water molecule is utilized for the reduction of carbon dioxide to produce carbohydrates.
Oxygen is the by-product of photosynthesis. Carbohydrate is subsequently converted into starch and is
stored in leaves and other storage parts.
NOTE- Splitting of water molecules is a part of the light reaction.
Other steps are part of the dark reaction during photosynthesis.
Stomata :- These are tiny pores present in the epidermis of leaf or stem through which gaseous exchange
and transpiration occur.
Functions of stomata
• Exchange of gases, O2 and CO2.
• Loss of large amount of water (water vapours) during transpiration.

Opening and closing of stomatal pores:

• The opening and closing of stomatal pores are controlled by the turgidity of guard cells.
• When guard cells uptake water from surrounding cells, they swell to become a turgid body, which
enlarges the pore in between (Stomatal Opening).
• While, when water is released, they become flaccid (shrink) to close the pore (Stomatal Closing).
Significance of Photosynthesis:
• Photosynthesis is the main way through which solar energy is made available for different living beings.
•Green plants are the main producers of food in the ecosystem. All other organisms directly or indirectly
depend on green plants for food.
•The process of photosynthesis also helps in maintaining the balance of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the
air.
Experiments:
The experiments on photosynthesis depend on the fact that green leaves make starch as food and the
starch gives a blue –black colour with iodine solution.
Experiment to show that Sunlight is necessary for photosynthesis:
1. Take a potted plant with green leaves and place it in a dark place for about three days to destarch
its leaves.
2. Take a thin strip of aluminium foil and wrap it in the centre of one leaf on the both sides so that
sunlight may not fall on this covered part of the leaf.
3. The remaining part of the leaf remains uncovered and exposed to sunlight.
4. Now keep the plant in sunshine for about six hours.
5. Pluck the partially covered leaf from the plant and remove its aluminium foil.
6. Remove its green color chlorophyll by boiling the leaf in alcohol with the help of water bath.
 7. Wash the decolorized leaf with water to remove any chlorophyll which may be sticking in it.
8. Pour iodine solution over the colorless leaf and observe the change in colour of the leaf.
Observation:
On adding iodine solution, Covered part of the leaf does not turn blue-black showing that no starch is
present in this middle part of the leaf.
The uncovered part of the leaf which received light turns blue-black showing that starch is present in this
part of the leaf.
Inference: Since the part of the leaf which was covered and hidden from sunlight does not contain starch
and the part of the leaf which was exposed to sunlight contains starch. Therefore, sunlight is necessary for
photosynthesis.
Experiment to show that carbon dioxide is necessary for photosynthesis.
Take two healthy potted plants.
Keep them in dark for 2-3 days, so that all the carbon dioxide fixed till that gt used up by the plant.
Take the plants and keep both in two separate closed bell jar containers that are air-tight. In one of the jar,
keep an open beaker containing potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution along with the plant. KOH can absorb
carbon dioxide, so the jar containing KOH is devoid of carbon dioxide.
Keep both the jars in sunlight for 4 hours.
Pluck the leaves from plants in both jars and remove chlorophyll by boiling in ethanol.
Apply iodine solution over the leaves. The leaves of the plant present in the jar without KOH solution turns
blue-black color, as the starch in the leaves reacts with iodine. But, the leaves of the plant in the jar with
KOH does not change color as in the absence of carbon dioxide the plant cannot produce starch.

2. Heterotrophic Nutrition (‘heteros’ means ‘others’ and ‘trophe’ means ‘nutrition’):- The mode
of nutrition in which an organism takes food from another organism is called heterotrophic nutrition.
Eg. Man, fungi, etc.
Heterotrophic nutrition can be further divided into three types, i.e. Saprophytic nutrition, Holozoic nutrition,
and Parasitic.
Saprophytic Nutrition: In saprophytic nutrition, the organism secretes the digestive juices on the food.
The food is digested while it is still to be ingested. The digested food is then ingested by the organism. All
the decomposers follow saprophytic nutrition. Eg. Fungi, yeast, etc.
Or
The nutrition mode in which organisms consume their daily food in the form of dead and decomposed
matter. Eg. Fungi, yeast, etc.
Holozoic Nutrition: In holozoic nutrition, the digestion happens inside the body of the organism. i.e., after
the food is ingested. It takes place in organisms that take solid or liquid food inside their body. Most of the
animals follow this mode of nutrition. Eg. Amoeba, Humans, etc.
Parasitic Nutrition: The organism (Parasite) which lives inside or outside another organism (host) and
derives nutrition from it, this mode of nutrition is called parasitic nutrition. Eg. Cuscuta, tick etc.
Nutrition in Amoeba:- Amoeba is a unicellular animal which follows the holozoic mode of nutrition. In
holozoic nutrition, the digestion of food follows after the ingestion of food. Thus, digestion takes place inside
the body of the organism. Holozoic nutrition happens in five steps, i.e. ingestion, digestion, absorption,
assimilation and egestion.
Steps of Holozoic Nutrition:
Ingestion: The process of taking in the food is called ingestion.
Digestion: The process of breaking complex food substances into simple molecules is called digestion.
Simple molecules, thus obtained, can be absorbed by the body.
Absorption: The process of absorption of digested food is called absorption.
Assimilation: The process of utilization of digested food, for energy and for growth and repair is called
assimilation.
Egestion: The process of removing undigested food from the body is called egestion.
Nutrition in Paramecium:
Paramecium is also a tiny unicellular animal which lives in water.
Ingestion:
•Paramecium uses its hair like structures called cilia to sweep the food particles from water and put them
into mouth.
•Ingestion is followed by other steps such as digestion, absorption, assimilation and egestion. (as written in
Amoeba)

Nutrition in Human Beings

Human Beings are complex animals, which have a complex digestive system. The human digestive system
is composed of an alimentary canal and some accessory glands.
Mouth or Buccal Cavity:
• The mouth has teeth and tongue. Salivary glands are also present in the mouth.
• Tongue has gustatory receptors which perceive the sense of taste.
The tongue helps in turning over the food so that saliva can be properly mixed in it.
•Teeth help in breaking down the food into smaller particles so that, swallowing of food becomes easier.
There are four types of teeth in human beings:-
The incisor teeth are used for cutting the food.
The canine teeth are used for tearing the food and for cracking hard substances.
The premolars are used for the coarse grinding of food.

The molars are used for fine grinding of food.

Salivary glands secrete saliva: Saliva makes the food slippery which makes it easy to swallow the food.
Saliva also contains the enzyme salivary amylase or ptyalin. Salivary amylase digests starch and converts
it into sucrose (maltose).
25-30% starch is digested in mouth in humans.
Oesophagus: Taking food from mouth to stomach by Peristaltic movement.
Peristaltic movement: Rhythmic contraction and expansion of muscles of the lining of the alimentary canal
to push the food forward.
Stomach:- Stomach is a bag-like organ , J -shaped structure. Highly muscular walls of the stomach help in
churning the food.
The walls of the stomach secrete hydrochloric acid, enzymes and mucus.
Hydrochloric acid kills the germs which may be present in food. Moreover, it makes the medium inside
the stomach as acidic. The acidic medium is necessary for gastric enzymes to work.
The enzyme pepsin, secreted in the stomach, does partial digestion of protein.
The mucus, secreted by the walls of the stomach saves the inner lining of the stomach from getting
damaged from hydrochloric acid.
The food passes into the small intestine from the stomach by sphincter muscles.
Small Intestine: It is a highly coiled tube-like structure. The small intestine is longer than the large intestine
but its lumen is smaller than that of the large intestine. The small intestine is divided into three parts, i.e.
duodenum, jejunum and ileum.
Liver: Liver is the largest organ in the human body. The liver manufactures bile, which gets stored in the
gall bladder. From the gall bladder, bile is released when it is required.
Bile functions
Bile breaks down larger fat molecules into smaller globules making it easy for the enzymes to act and
digest them. This process is called as emulsification of fat.
Pancreas: Pancreas is situated below the stomach. It secretes pancreatic juice(exocrine) which contains
many digestive enzymes and hormones(endocrine).It act as endocrine as well as exocrine Gland that’s why
it is called as Heterocrine Gland.
Its juices makes the medium alkaline in small intestine. It neutralizes the acidity of the chyme that comes
from the stomach. Alkaline medium is required for the digestion of fats and the action of pancreatic
enzymes.
Bile and pancreatic juice go to the duodenum through a hepatopancreatic duct. After that, the enzyme
lipase digests fat into fatty acids and glycerol. Trypsin and chymotrypsin are enzymes which digest protein
into amino acids.
The walls of the small intestine contain glands which secretes intestinal [Link] enzymes present in it
finally convert the proteins into amino acids, complex carbohydrates into glucose and fats into fatty acids
and glycerol. In this way the process of digestion converts the large and insoluble food molecules into small
water soluble molecules. The major part of digestion takes place in the duodenum.
No digestion takes place in the jejunum: The inner wall in the ileum is projected into numerous finger-
like structures, called villi. Villi increase the surface area inside the ileum so that optimum absorption can
take place. Moreover, villi also reduce the lumen of the ileum so that food can stay for a longer duration in
it, for optimum absorption. Digested food is absorbed by villi.
Q. Why is small intestine in herbivores longer than in carnivores?
Ans- Digestion of cellulose takes a longer time. Hence, herbivores eating grass need a longer small
intestine to allow complete digestion of cellulose. Carnivorous animals cannot digest cellulose,
hence they have a shorter intestine.
Large Intestine: Large intestine is smaller than the small intestine. Undigested food goes into the large
intestine. Some water and salt are absorbed by the walls of the large intestine. After that, the undigested
food goes to the rectum, from where it is expelled out through the anus. Large Intestine absorb excess of
water. The rest of the material is removed from the body via anus. (Egestion).