Life Processes

• The maintenance of living organisms is essential even if they are moving, resting or even sleeping.
• The processes which together perform the function of maintenance of ‘life’ are called as life processes.
• Nutrition, respiration, circulation, and excretion are examples of essential life processes.
• In unicellular organisms, all these processes are carried out by a single cell.
• In multicellular organisms, well-developed systems are present to carry out the processes.
Nutrition

The process of acquiring food that is needed for nourishment and sustenance of the organism is called
nutrition.

• There are two main modes of nutrition, autotrophic and heterotrophic.

• Autotrophic nutrition is present in plants, algae and some bacteria. Organisms produce their own food
using light energy or chemical energy through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, respectively.
• Heterotrophic nutrition is present in bacteria, fungi and animals. They derive energy from organic
compounds, such as animals eating plants or other animals for food.
• Heterotrophic nutrition has subtypes such as holozoic, saprophytic and parasitic nutrition.
Autotrophic Nutrition

If an organism can nourish itself by making its own food using sunlight or chemicals such mode of nutrition is
called as autotrophic nutrition.

• Plants photosynthesize (use light energy) and are called photoautotrophs.

• Few bacteria use chemicals to derive energy and are called chemoautotrophs.
Photosynthesis

• Photosynthesis is an important process by which food is formed.

• The plants make food using sunlight and water, which provides nourishment to other organisms and
themselves.
• Chlorophyll present in the green parts absorbs light energy.
• This light energy is used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.
• Hydrogen is then used to reduce carbon dioxide into carbohydrates, typically glucose.
• Chlorophyll is essential for photosynthesis and stomata to facilitate the intake of carbon dioxide.
The overall reaction occurring in photosynthesis is as follows:

6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2

Stomata

• Stomata are pores on the leaves that help in the exchange of gases.
• They are mostly found on the underside of the leaf.
• Each stoma is guarded by guard cells, which control the opening and closing of the pore.
• The water content of the guard cells is responsible for their function.
Saprophytic Nutrition

Some organisms feed on dead and decaying organic matter. This mode of nutrition is called saprophytic
nutrition.

• The food is partially digested outside the body, and then it is absorbed.
• E.g. Fungi are saprophytes.
Parasitic Nutrition

Some organisms feed at the expense of another organism and in turn cause harm. This is called the parasitic
mode of nutrition.

• These parasites live on the body or in the body of a host organism and derive the nutrients directly
from the body of the host.
• E.g. Leech is an ectoparasite while Ascaris is an endoparasite. Cuscuta is a parasitic plant.
Question 1 - How are fats digested in our bodies? Where does this process take place?

Answer - Fats are present in the form of large globules in the small intestine. The small intestine gets the
secretions in the form of bile juice and pancreatic juice respectively from the liver and the pancreas. The bile
salts (from the liver) break down the large fat globules into smaller globules so that the pancreatic enzymes can
easily act on them. This is referred to as emulsification of fats. It takes place in the small intestine.

Question 2: What is the role of saliva in the digestion of food?

Answer: Saliva is secreted by the salivary glands, located under the tongue. It makes the food soft for easy
swallowing. It contains a digestive enzyme called salivary amylase, which breaks down starch into sugar.

Question 3: What are the necessary conditions for autotrophic nutrition and what are its by- products?

Answer: Autotrophic nutrition takes place through the process of photosynthesis. Carbon dioxide, water,
chlorophyll pigment, and sunlight are the necessary conditions required for autotrophic nutrition.
Carbohydrates (food) and O2 are the by- products of photosynthesis.

6CO2 + 6H2O Chlorophyll and Sunlight → C6H12O6 + 6O2

Question 4: What are the differences between aerobic and anaerobic respiration? Name some organisms that
use the anaerobic mode of respiration.

Answer 4: Difference between Aerobic respiration and Anaerobic respiration:

Aerobic respiration Anaerobic respiration

1. It occurs in the presence of O2 .1. It occurs in the absence of O2
2. It involves the exchange of gases between 2. Exchange of gases is absent.
the organism and the outside environment.
3. It occurs in cytoplasm and mitochondria. 3. It occurs only in cytoplasm.
4. It always releases CO2 and H2O. 4. It produces alcohols and CO2.
5. It yields large amount of energy (38 ATP). 5. Energy released is very low (2 ATP).

Anaerobic respiration occurs in the roots of some waterlogged plants, some parasitic worms, animal muscles
and some micro-organisms such as yeasts.

Question 5: How are the alveoli designed to maximise the exchange of gases?

Answer: The alveoli are the small balloon-like structures present in the lungs. The walls of the alveoli consist of
extensive network of blood vessels. Each lung contains 300−350 million alveoli, making it a total of
approximately 700 million in both the lungs. The alveolar surface when spread out covers about 80 m2 area.
This large surface area makes the gaseous exchange more efficient.

Question 6: What would be the consequences of a deficiency of haemoglobin in our bodies?

Answer: Haemoglobin is the respiratory pigment that transports oxygen to the body cells for cellular
respiration. Therefore, deficiency of haemoglobin in blood can affect the oxygen supplying capacity of blood.
This can lead to deficiency of oxygen in the body cells. It can also lead to a disease called anaemia.

Question7: Describe double circulation in human beings. Why is it necessary?

Answer: Because both oxygen and carbon dioxide have to be transported by the blood, the heart has different
chambers to prevent the oxygen-rich blood from mixing with the blood containing carbon dioxide. The human
heart is divided into four chambers − the right atrium, the right ventricle, the left atrium and the left ventricle.

Oxygen-rich blood from the lungs comes to the thin-walled upper chamber of the heart on the left, the left
atrium. The left atrium relaxes when it is collecting this blood. It then contracts, while the next chamber, the left
ventricle, expands, so that the blood is transferred to it. When the muscular left ventricle contracts in its turn,
the blood is pumped out to the body.

De-oxygenated blood comes from the body to the upper chamber on the right, the right atrium, as it expands.
As the right atrium contracts, the corresponding lower chamber, the right ventricle, dilates. This transfers blood
to the right ventricle, which in turn pumps it to the lungs for oxygenation. During this process blood goes twice
through the heart. That’s why it is known as double circulation.

Double Circulation is necessary because the separation of oxygenated and de-oxygenated blood allows a more
efficient supply of oxygen to the body cells. This efficient system of oxygen supply is very useful in warm-
blooded animals such as human beings. As we know, warm- blooded animals have to maintain a constant body
temperature by cooling themselves when they are in a hotter environment and by warming their bodies when
they are in a cooler environment. Hence, they require more O2 for more respiration so that they can produce
more energy to maintain their body temperature. Thus, the circulatory system of humans is more efficient
because of the double circulatory heart.

Question 8: What are the differences between the transport of materials in xylem and phloem?

Xylem Phloem
1. Xylem tissue helps in the transport of water 1. Phloem tissue helps in the transport of food.
and minerals.
2. Water is transported upwards from roots to 2. Food is transported in both upward and
all other plant parts. downward directions.
3. Transport in xylem occurs with the help of 3. Transport of food in phloem requires energy
simple physical forces such as transpiration pull. in the form of ATP.

Question 9: Compare the functioning of alveoli in the lungs and nephrons in the kidneys with respect to their
structure and functioning.

Alveoli Nephron
1. Alveoli are tiny balloon- like structures 1. Nephrons are tubular structures present
present inside the lungs. inside the kidneys.
2. The walls of the alveoli are one cell thick and 2. Nephrons are made of glomerulus, bowman’s
it contains an extensive network of blood capsule, and a long renal tube. It also contains a
capillaries. cluster of thin-walled capillaries.
3.. Alveoli are the site of gaseous exchange. 3. Nephrons are the basic filtration unit.

Question 10: Why is diffusion insufficient to meet the oxygen requirements of multicellular organisms like
humans?

Answer: In multi-cellular organisms, all the cells may not be in direct contact with the surrounding environment.
Thus, simple diffusion will not meet the requirements of all the cells.

Question 11: What criteria do we use to decide whether something is alive?

Answer: Any visible movement such as walking, breathing, or growing is generally used to decide whether
something is alive or not. However, a living organism can also have movements, which are not visible to the
naked eye. Therefore, the presence of molecular movement inside the organisms used to decide whether
something is alive or not.

Question 12: What are outside raw materials used for by an organism?

Answer: An organism uses outside raw materials mostly in the form of food (Since life on earth depends on
carbon-based molecules, most of these food sources are also carbon-based) and oxygen. The raw materials
required by an organism can be quite varied depending on the complexity of the organism and its environment.

Question 13: What processes would you consider essential for maintaining life?

Answer: Life processes such as nutrition, respiration, transportation, excretion.

Question 14: What are the differences between autotrophic nutrition and heterotrophic nutrition?

Autotrophic nutrition Heterotrophic nutrition

1. Food is synthesised from simple inorganic 1. Food is obtained directly or indirectly from
raw materials such as CO2 and water. autotrophs. This food is broken down with the
help of enzymes.
2. Presence of green pigment (chlorophyll) is 2. No pigment is required in this type of
necessary. nutrition.
3. Food is generally prepared during day time. 3. Food can be utilised at all times.
4. All green plants and some bacteria have this 4. All animals and fungi have this type of
type of nutrition. nutrition.

Question 15: Where do plants get each of the raw materials required for photosynthesis?

Answer: The following raw materials are required for photosynthesis:

The raw material CO2 enters from the atmosphere through stomata.
Water is absorbed from the soil by the plant roots.
Sunlight, an important component to manufacture food, is absorbed by the chlorophyll in leaves and other
green parts of the plants.
Question 16: What is the role of the acid in our stomach?

Answer: Role of the acid (HCl) in our stomach:

Kills germs present in the food.
Makes the food acidic, so that pepsin can digest protein.
Question 17: What is the function of digestive enzymes?

Answer: Digestive enzymes such as amylase, lipase, pepsin, trypsin, etc. help in the breaking down of complex
food particles into simple ones. These simple particles can be easily absorbed by the blood and thus
transported to all the cells of the body.

Question 18: How is the small intestine designed to absorb digested food?

Answer: The small intestine has millions of tiny finger-like projections called villi. These villi increase the surface
area for food absorption. Within these villi, many blood vessels are present that absorb the digested food and
carry it to the blood stream. From the blood stream, the absorbed food is delivered to each and every cell of
the body.

Question 19: What advantage over an aquatic organism does a terrestrial organism have with regard to
obtaining oxygen for respiration?
Answer: Since the amount of dissolved oxygen is fairly low compared to the amount of oxygen in the air, the
rate of breathing in aquatic organisms is much faster than that seen in terrestrial organisms. Therefore, unlike
aquatic animals, terrestrial animals do not have to show various adaptations for better gaseous exchange.

Question 20: What are the different ways in which glucose is oxidised to provide energy in various
organisms?

Answer: Glucose is first broken down in the cell cytoplasm into a three-carbon molecule called pyruvate.
Pyruvate is further broken down in the following ways to provide energy:

Question 21: How is oxygen and carbon dioxide transported in human beings?

Answer: Haemoglobin transports oxygen molecule to all the body cells for cellular respiration. The haemoglobin
pigment present in the blood gets attached to O2molecules that are obtained from breathing. It thus forms
oxyhaemoglobin and the blood become oxygenated. This oxygenated blood is then distributed to all the body
cells by the heart. After giving away O2 to the body cells, blood takes CO2 which is the end product of cellular
respiration. Now the blood becomes de- oxygenated.

Since haemoglobin pigment has less affinity for CO2, CO2 is mainly transported in the dissolved form. This de-
oxygenated blood gives CO2 to lung alveoli and takes O2 in return.

Question 22: How are the lungs designed in human beings to maximise the area for exchange of gases?

Answer: The exchange of gases takes place between the blood capillaries that surround the alveoli and the
gases present in the alveoli. Thus, alveoli are the site for exchange of gases. The lungs get filled up with air
during the process of inhalation as ribs are lifted up and diaphragm is flattened. The air that is rushed inside the
lungs fills the numerous alveoli present in the lungs. Each lung contains 300-350 million alveoli. These
numerous alveoli increase the surface area for gaseous exchange making the process of respiration more
efficient.

Question 23: What are the components of the transport system in human beings? What are the functions of
these components?

Answer: The main components of the transport system in human beings are the heart, blood, and blood
vessels.

Heart pumps oxygenated blood throughout the body. It receives deoxygenated blood from the various body
parts and sends this impure blood to the lungs for oxygenation. Blood is a fluid connective tissue, it helps in
the transport of oxygen, nutrients, CO2, and nitrogenous wastes.

Blood vessels (arteries, veins, and capillaries) carry blood either away from the heart to various organs or
from various organs back to the heart.

Question 24: Why is it necessary to separate oxygenated and deoxygenated blood in mammals and birds?

Answer: Warm-blooded animals such as birds and mammals maintain a constant body temperature by cooling
themselves when they are in a hotter environment and by warming their bodies when they are in a cooler
environment. Hence, these animals require more oxygen (O2) for more cellular respiration so that they can
produce more energy to maintain their body temperature. Thus, it is necessary for them to separate
oxygenated and de-oxygenated blood, so that their circulatory system is more efficient and can maintain their
constant body temperature.

Question 25: What are the components of the transport system in highly organised plants?

Answer: In highly organised plants, there are two different types of conducting tissues − xylem and phloem.
Xylem conducts water and minerals obtained from the soil (via roots) to the rest of the plant.
Phloem transports amino acids and food materials from the leaves to different parts of the plant body.
Question 26: How are water and minerals transported in plants?
Answer: The components of xylem tissue (tracheids and vessels) of roots, stems and leaves are interconnected
to form a continuous system of water – conducting channels that reaches all parts of the plant. Transpiration
creates a suction pressure, as a result of which water is forced into the xylem cells of the roots. Then there is a
steady movement of water from the root xylem to all the plant parts through the interconnected water –
conducting channels.

Question 27: How is food transported in plants?

Answer: Phloem transports food materials from the leaves to different parts of the plant body. The
transportation of food in phloem is achieved by utilizing energy from ATP. As a result of this, the osmotic
pressure in the tissue increases causing water to move into it. This pressure moves the material in the phloem
to the tissues which have less pressure. This is helpful in moving materials according to the needs of the plant.
For example, the food material, such as sucrose, is transported into the phloem tissue using ATP energy.

Question 28: Describe the structure and functioning of nephrons.

Answer: Nephrons are the basic filtering units of kidneys. Each kidney possesses large number of nephrons,
approximately 1-1.5 million. The main components of the nephron are glomerulus, Bowman’s capsule, and a
long renal tubule.

Functioning of a nephron:

The blood enters the kidney through the renal artery, which branches into many capillaries associated with
glomerulus.
The water and solute are transferred to the nephron at Bowman’s capsule.
In the proximal tubule, some substances such as amino acids, glucose, and salts are selectively reabsorbed
and unwanted molecules are added in the urine.
The filtrate then moves down into the loop of Henle, where more water is absorbed.
From here, the filtrate moves upwards into the distal tubule and finally to the collecting duct. Collecting duct
collects urine from many nephrons.
The urine formed in each kidney enters a long tube called ureter. From ureter, it gets transported to the
urinary bladder and then into the urethra.
Question 29: What are the methods used by plants to get rid of excretory products?

Answer: Plants use completely different strategies for excretion than those of animals. They can get rid of
excess water by transpiration. For other wastes, plants use the fact that many of their tissues consist of dead
cells, and that they can even lose some parts such as leaves. Many plant waste products are stored in cellular
vacuoles. Waste products may be stored in leaves that fall off. Other waste products are stored as resins and
gums, especially in old xylem. Plants also excrete some waste substances into the soil around them.

Question 30: How is the amount of urine produced regulated?

Answer: The amount of urine produced depends on the amount of excess water and dissolved wastes present
in the body. Some other factors such as habitat of an organism and hormone such as Antidiuretic hormone
(ADH) also regulates the amount of urine produced.