Life Processes

WHAT ARE LIFE PROCESSES ?

 LIFE PROCESSES :-
● Life processes are the basic processes in living organisms which are necessary for
maintaining their life. The basic life processes are – nutrition, respiration, transportation, and
excretion.
 ● i) Nutrition :– is the process of taking food by an organism and its utilization by the body
for life processes.
 ● ii) Respiration :– is the process by which food is burnt in the cells of the body with the help
of oxygen to release energy.
 ●iii) Transportation :– is the process by which food, oxygen, water, waste products are
carried from one part of the body to the other,
 ●iv) Excretion :- is the process by which waste products are removed from the body.
NUTRITION
 ● Nutrition is the process of taking food by an organism and its utilisation by the body to build
the body, for growth, to repair the damaged parts of the body and for energy.
 ● Life on earth depends on carbon based molecules and most of the food are also carbon based
molecules. The outside raw materials used by living organisms are food, water and air.
 ●a) MODES OF NUTRITION :-

There are two main modes of nutrition. They are autotrophic nutrition and heterotrophic
nutrition.
 ●i) Autotrophic nutrition :- is nutrition in which organisms prepare their own food from simple
inorganic substances like carbon dioxide and water in the presence of sunlight and chlorophyll.
● Eg :- all green plants and some bacteria.
 ●ii) Heterotrophic nutrition :- is nutrition in which organisms get their food directly or indirectly
from plants.
● Eg :- all animals fungi and some bacteria.
 ●b) TYPES OF HETEROTROPHIC NUTRITION :- There are three main types of heterotrophic
nutrition. They are saprophytic, parasitic and holozoic nutritions.
 ●i) Saprophytic nutrition :- is nutrition in which organisms get their food from dead and
decaying organisms. They break down the food material outside their body and then
absorbs it. Eg :- mushroom, bread mould, yeast, some bacteria etc.
 ● ii) Parasitic nutrition :- is nutrition in which organisms get their food from living
organisms (host) without killing them. Eg :- cuscuta, orchids, ticks, lice, leeches, round
worm, tape worm, plasmodium etc.
 ●iii) Holozoic nutrition :- is nutrition in which organisms take food directly and then
digests and absorbs it. Eg :- amoeba, paramaecium, birds, fishes, humans etc.
 NUTRITION IN PLANTS

 PHOTOSYNTHESIS :-
 It is the process by which plants prepare food by using carbon dioxide and water in the presence of sunlight and
chlorophyll. The food prepared is carbohydrate which is stored in the form of starch. Oxygen is released in this
process.
 ● Equation of photosynthesis :-
Sunlight
6CO2 + 12H2O C6H12O6 + 6H2O + 6O2
Chlorophyll
 ● Process of photosynthesis :-
 Photosynthesis takes place in three main steps. They are :-
i) Absorption of light energy by chlorophyll.
ii) Conversion of light energy into chemical energy and splitting up of water molecules into hydrogen and
oxygen.
iii) Reduction of carbon dioxide by hydrogen to form carbohydrates.
 ●Chlorophyll :- are the green pigments present in the leaves. If we observe a cross section of
a leaf under a microscope, we can see cells containing green dot like structures called
chloroplasts which contain chlorophyll.
 STOMATA
• Stomata are tiny pores present on the surface of the leaves through which exchange of gases
takes place for the purpose of photosynthesis.
• Each stomatal pore is surrounded by a pair of bean shaped cells called guard cells.
• Guard cells help in opening and closing of the pore.
• The guard cells swell when water flows inti them, causing the stomatal pore to open, Similarly,
the pore closes when the guard cells shrink.
 HOW DO ORGANISMS OBTAIN THEIR
NUTRITION?

 In single celled organisms, the food may be taken in by the entire surface. As the complexity of
the organism increases, different parts become specialized to perform different functions.
 NUTRITION IN AMOEBA:

● Amoeba is a unicellular animal living in water. It takes in food by formingfinger

like projections called pseudopodia and forms a food vacuole. Inside the food vacuole
the food is digested and absorbed.The undigested food is then sent out through the
surface of the cell.
 NUTRITION IN PARAMOECIUM:
 It is also a unicellular organism.
 In it the cell has a definite shape and food is taken in at a specific spot. Food is moved to this spot
by the movement of cilia which cover the entire surface of cilia.
 NUTRITION IN HUMAN BEINGS

 Nutrition in human beings takes place in the digestive system. It consists of the
alimentary canal and glands which produce enzymes which breaks down food into
smaller molecules.
 ● The main organs of the digestive system are mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small
intestine, large intestine, and anus. The main glands are salivary glands, gastric
glands, liver, pancreas and intestinal glands.
• In the mouth :- the food is broken down into smaller particles by the teeth and mixed with saliva
from the salivary glands. Saliva contains the enzyme salivary amylase which converts starch into
sugar. Then the food passes through the oesophagus into the stomach.
● In the stomach :- the gastric glands produce gastric juice which contains the enzyme pepsin,
hydrochloric acid and mucous. Pepsin breaks down proteins. Hydrochloric acid makes the medium
acidic and helps in the action of pepsin. Mucous protects the walls of the stomach from the action
of the acid. Then the food passes into the small intestine.
● In the upper part of the small intestine called duodenum :- the food is mixed with bile from liver
and pancreatic juice from the pancreas. Bile breaks down fats into smaller globules. Pancreatic
juice contains the enzymes trypsin and lipase. Trypsin breaks down proteins and lipase breaks
down fats.
● In the small intestine :- the glands the walls of the small intestine produces intestinal juice. The
enzymes of the intestinal juice converts carbohydrates into glucose, fats into fatty acids and glycerol
and proteins into amino acids. The walls of the small intestine has several finger like projections
called villi having blood vessels. It helps to increase the surface area for the absorption of digested
food. The digested food is absorbed by the blood and transported to all cells in the body. Then the
undigested food passes into the large intestine.
● In the large intestine :- Water is absorbed and the waste material is removed through the anus.
RESPIRATION
 RESPIRATION

 The process by which the food is burnt in the cells of body with the help of oxygen to
release oxygen is called respiration.
 The energy released during cellular respiration is immediately used to synthesize a
molecule called ATP which is used to fuel all other activities in the cell.
 ATP is broken down giving a fixed amount of energy.
 First step in the process of respiration :-
 Breakdown of glucose, a six-carbon molecule into a three carbon molecule called
pyruvate . This process takes place in the cytoplasm.
 TYPES OF RESPIRATION
There are two main types of respiration:
1) aerobic respiraton 2) anaerobic respiration

Aerobic Respiration Anaerobic Respiration

 Aerobic respiration mitochondria.  Anaerobic respiration occurs in the absence of
 oxygen.
occurs in the presence  Large amount of
of oxygen. energy is released.  Pyruvate is converted in to ethanol and carbon
 dioxide in cytoplasm.
Pyruvate is converted
into carbon dioxide
and water in  Less amount of energy is released.

3) Another pathway for the breakdown pf pyruvate is taken in muscles when there is lack of oxygen. Pyruvate is
converted into lactic acid.
 HUMAN RESPIRATION

 The main organs of the respiratory system are nostrils, nasal cavity,
 pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, lungs and diaphragm.
 Air enter through the nostrils. The hairs and mucous traps the dust particles. It then passes through
the pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi and enters the lungs. The trachea has rings of cartilage which
prevents it from collapsing when there is no air in the trachea. The bronchi divides into smaller
tubes called bronchioles which ends in tiny air sacs called alveoli. The alveoli is supplied with blood
vessels through which exchange of gases takes place. The alveoli helps to increase the surface area
for the exchange of gases.
 MECHANISM OF BREATHING
 ● When we breathe in air, the muscles of the diaphragm contracts and moves downward and the chest cavity
expands and air enters into the lungs.
 ● When we breathe out air, the muscles of the diaphragm relaxes and moves upward and the chest cavity
contracts and air goes out of the lungs.
TRANSPORTATION
 TRANSPORTATION IN HUMAN BEINGS

 The main transport system in human beings is the circulatory system. It consists of blood, arteries, veins
capillaries and heart.
 ● i) Blood :- transports food, oxygen and waste products. It consists of plasma, red blood cells (RBC),
white blood cells (WBC) and platelets.
o Plasma transports food, water, carbon dioxide, nitrogenous waste etc.
o Red blood cells transports oxygen.
o White blood cells kills harmful microbes and protects the body. Platelets help in clotting of blood and
prevents loss of blood during injury.
 ● ii) Arteries :- carry pure blood from the heart to all parts of the body. They are thick walled and do not
have valves.
 ●iii) Veins :- carry impure blood from all parts of the body to the heart. They are thin walled and have
valves.
 ●iv) Capillaries :- are very narrow blood vessels which connects arteries and veins together. The exchange
of food, water, oxygen, carbon dioxide etc. between the blood and cells take place through the capillaries.
 ●v) HEART :- is a muscular organ which pumps blood to all parts of the body. It has four chambers.
The upper chambers are called atria and the lower chambers are called ventricles. Since the ventricles
pump blood to the different organs its walls are thicker than the atria. The right and left chambers are
separated by a septum. It prevents the mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood The atria and
ventricles have valves between them to prevent blood flowing backward.
 WORKING OF HEART

 ● When the left atrium relaxes oxygenated blood from the lungs flowsinto it through the pulmonary
vein. When it contracts, the left ventricle expands and the blood flows into it. Then the left ventricle
contracts and the oxygenated blood is pumped out through the aorta to all parts of the body. After
circulating through all parts of the body the deoxygenated blood enters the right atrium through the
vena cava. When the right atrium contracts, the right ventricle expands and the blood flows into it.
Then the right ventricle contracts and the blood is pumped to the lungs through the pulmonary
artery. In the lungs carbon dioxide is removed and oxygen is absorbed and the oxygenated blood
again enters the left atrium and the process repeats.
 ● Since blood flows through the heart twice in one cycle, it is called double circulation.
 ● LYMPH :- is a colourless fluid present in intercellular spaces. It is formed from the plasma which
escapes from the capillaries. Lymph drains into lymphatic capillaries which forms lymph vessels and
joins into large veins.
 ● Lymph transports digested fats and drains excess fluids from intercellular spaces back into the
blood. It contains lymphocytes which kills germs and protects the body.
 HEART OF MAMMALS BIRDS AND REPTILES

 ●i) The heart in mammals :- and birds have four chambers and the right and left sides of the heart
is separated by a septum. This prevents mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood and provides
efficient supply of oxygen. This is necessary because they need more energy to maintain their body
temperature.
 ●ii) The heart in amphibians and reptiles :- have three chambers and allows some mixing of
oxygenated and deoxygenated blood because the do not use energy to maintain their body
temperature. Their body temperature is the same as the temperature of the surroundings.
 ●iii) The heart in fishes :- have only two chambers and blood is oxygenated in the gills.
 TRANSPORTATION IN PLANTS

 In plants, transportation of materials like food, water and minerals takes place through conducting tissues
called xylem and phloem.
 ●i) Xylem :- transports water and minerals from the roots to all parts of the plant. It consists of xylem vessels
and tracheids. Water and minerals enter the roots by diffusion. Then due to transpiration, the suction force
helps in the upward movement of water an minerals.
 ●ii) Phloem :- transports food from the leaves to the other parts of the plant. This process is
called translocation. The phloem consists of sieve tubes and companion cells. Food from the
leaves is transferred to the xylem by the energy of ATP molecules. Due to osmotic pressure water
enters the phloem and helps in the transport of food.
EXCRETION
 ● Excretion is the process by which the waste products produced during metabolic
activities is removed from the body.
 ● In unicellular organism the waste products are removed from the cells into the
surroundings by diffusion.
 ● In multicellular organisms the waste products are removed through specialized
organs.
 EXCRETION IN HUMAN BEINGS
 The excretory system consists of a pair of kidneys , a pair of ureters, urinary bladder and urethra. Each
kidney has a number of excretory units called nephron.
 NEPHRON:-
 ● Each nephron has a cup like structure called Bowman’s capsule containing a bundle of capillaries
called glomerulus. The Bowman’s capsule leads into a tubular structure which joins into a collecting
duct. The renal artery brings the nitrogenous waste like ammonia, urea, uric acid (urine) along with
excess water, salts etc. into the nephron. It filters the nitrogenous waste, water and salts which passes
through the tubular structure into the collecting duct. The waste then passes through the ureters
into the urinary bladder and is then sent out through the urethra as urine.
 ● The useful products like amino acids, glucose, salts etc. are reabsorbed by the capillaries around
the tubular structure and goes into the real vein.
 EXCRETION IN PLANTS

 ● In plants the gaseous waste products produced during respiration (CO2) and
photosynthesis (O2) are removed through the stomata. Excess water is removed
through the stomata. This process is called transpiration.
 ● Some waste products are stored in the leaves and removed when the leaves dry
and fall off. Some waste products are stored in vacuoles. Some waste products like
gums and resins are stored in the old xylem cells. Some waste products are removed
through the roots.
Thank You!!!