CHAPTER 5

LIFE PROCESSES

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.

NUTRITION:

The process by which an organism takes food and utilizes it to produce energy is called
nutrition.

Need for Nutrition: Organisms need energy and raw materials to perform various reactions.
The energy and raw materials are supplied by the nutrients

Nutrients: Materials which provide nutrition to organisms are called nutrients.

Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are the main nutrients and are called macronutrients. Minerals
and vitamins are required in small amounts and hence are called micronutrients.

Modes of Nutrition
1. Autotrophic Nutrition.
2. Heterotrophic Nutrition

Autotrophic Nutrition:
The mode of nutrition in which an organism prepares its own food. Example: Green plants and
blue-green algae (cyanobacteria).

Autotrophs: The organisms which carry out autotrophic nutrition are called autotrophs.

Photosynthesis:
Autotrophs intake CO2 and H2O, and convert these into carbohydrates and O2 in the presence
of chlorophyll and sunlight This process is called photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis takes place in three main steps:

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.
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.

How do raw materials for photosynthesis become available to the plant?

 Water comes from the soil, through the xylem tissue in roots and stems.
 Carbon dioxide comes in the leaves through stomata.

Site of Photosynthesis:
Chloroplast in the leaf. Chloroplast contains chlorophyll (green pigment)

Stomata
 Stomata are pores present on the underside of the leaves that help in the exchange of
gases.
 Each stoma is guarded by guard cells, which control the opening and closing of the
pore.

Functions of stomata
Exchange of gases, O2 and CO2.
Loses a large amount of water (water vapour) 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 shrinking to close the pore
(stomatal closing).

CLOSED STOMA OPEN STOMA

At night, when there is no photosynthesis occurring, CO2 elimination is the major exchange
activity going on. During the day, CO2 generated during respiration is used up for
photosynthesis, hence there is no CO2 release. Instead, oxygen release is the major event at
this time.

Heterotrophic nutrition:
The mode of nutrition in which an organism takes food from another organism is called
heterotrophic nutrition.
Heterotrophic nutrition can be further divided into three types, viz. saprophytic nutrition,
holozoic nutrition, and parasitic.

 Saprophytic Nutrition: The mode of nutrition in which organism feeds on dead and
decaying organic matter is called saprophytic nutrition. Fungi, houseflies etc.

 Holozoic Nutrition: In holozoic nutrition, the digestion happens inside the body of the
organism. i.e., after the food is ingested. Most of the animals follow this mode of nutrition.

 Parasitic Nutrition: The mode of nutrition in which an organism lives inside or outside
another organism (host), derives nutrition from it and harms the host is known as parasitic
nutrition.. For example Cuscuta, ticks etc.

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.

HOLOZOIC NUTRITION IN ANIMALS

a) AMOEBA:
Amoeba is a unicellular animal living in water. It takes in food by forming finger 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.

b) HUMANS:

Mouth or Buccal Cavity:

1. Tongue: The tongue has taste buds which perceive the sense of taste. It helps in turning
over the food so that saliva can be properly mixed in it.
2. Teeth: Teeth help in chewing/ breaking down the food into smaller particles so that,
swallowing of food becomes easier.
3. Salivary glands: Saliva makes the food slippery which makes it easy to swallow the food.
Saliva contains the enzyme salivary amylase. Salivary amylase digests starch and converts
it into simpler carbohydrates/sugars.

Oesophagus: Taking food from mouth to stomach by Peristaltic movement (rhythmic

contraction of muscles of the lining of the alimentary canal to push the food forward.)

Stomach
 Stomach is a sac-like, J- shaped muscular organ. The muscular walls of the stomach
help in in mixing the food thoroughly with digestive juices.

Gastric glands:
Present in the walls of the stomach. They secrete:
1. Hydrochloric acid (HCl): Kills the microorganisms which may be present in food. It
makes the medium inside the stomach acidic. The acidic medium is necessary for
gastric enzyme (Pepsin) to work.
2. Pepsin: Responsible for partial digestion of proteins.
 3. Mucus: Saves the inner lining of the stomach from getting damaged by hydrochloric
acid.

Acidity:
A common medical condition caused due to excessive production of acid by the stomach.
It is treated by taking ‘antacids’ (basic in nature) like milk of magnesia to neutralise the acid.

The exit of food from the stomach is regulated by a sphincter muscle which releases it in small
amounts into the small intestine. The small intestine is the site of the complete digestion of
carbohydrates, proteins and fats. It receives the secretions of the liver and pancreas for this
purpose.

Liver:
Liver is the largest organ in the human body. It synthesises bile juice, which gets stored in the
gall bladder. From the gall bladder, bile is released into the small intestine as and when
required.

Bile juice:
 Makes the food alkaline and helps in the activation of pancreatic enzymes.
 Breaks down larger fat globules into smaller fat droplets. This process is called
emulsification of fat.

Pancreas: Pancreas is situated below the stomach. It secretes pancreatic juice which contains
many digestive enzymes.

Pancreatic juice:
4. Trypsin: An enzyme for digesting proteins.
5. Lipase: Digests the emulsified fats.

Small Intestine:
The walls of the small intestine contain glands which secrete intestinal juice. The enzymes
present in it finally convert the proteins to amino acids, complex carbohydrates into glucose
and fats into fatty acids and glycerol.

The length of the small intestine differs in various animals depending on the food they eat.
Herbivores eating grass need a longer small intestine to allow the cellulose to be digested. Meat
is easier to digest, hence carnivores like tigers have a shorter small intestine.

Absorption of food:
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.

Large intestine:
The undigested food passes into the large intestine. Water and certain minerals are absorbed
here

Egestion:
The exit of solid undigested waste through the anus. It is regulated by the anal sphincter.
 RESPIRATION:

Respiration is the process by which food is broken down with the help of oxygen to release
energy. It takes place in the mitochondria of all the cells of the body. The energy released
during respiration is used to make ATP molecules (Adenosine triphosphate) from ADP
molecules (Adenosine diphosphate) and inorganic phosphate.

Energy is stored in the cells in the form of ATP molecules. When the cells need energy, ATP
is broken down in the presence of water to form ADP and energy is released.

Types of respiration:

1. Aerobic respiration:

Takes place in the presence of oxygen. The release of energy in this aerobic process is a lot
greater than in the anaerobic process. It takes place in most organisms.

Step 1: Conversion of glucose (6-carbon molecule) into pyruvate (3 carbon molecule) in the
cytoplasm.

Step 2: Conversion of pyruvate into carbon dioxide, water and energy in the mitochondria.

Respiration in muscle cells during exercise:

Sometimes, when there is a lack of oxygen in our muscle cells, another pathway for respiration
takes place.

Step 1: Conversion of glucose (6-carbon molecule) into pyruvate (3 carbon molecule) in the
cytoplasm.

Step 2: Pyruvate is converted into lactic acid which is also a three-carbon molecule.
This build-up of lactic acid in our muscles during sudden activity causes cramps. ATP
produced is broken down giving rise to a fixed amount of energy which can drive the
endothermic reactions taking place in the muscles.

2. Anaerobic respiration:

This process takes place in the absence of air (oxygen). It produces lesser energy than aerobic
respiration.

Step 1: Conversion of glucose (6-carbon molecule) into pyruvate (3 carbon molecule) in the
cytoplasm.

Step 2: Conversion of pyruvate into ethanol and carbon dioxide in the cytoplasm. This process
takes place in yeast during fermentation.

RESPIRATION IN HUMANS:

lactic

energy
energy

energy

Nostrils:
There are two nostrils which converge to form a nasal passage. The inner lining of the
nostrils is lined by hair and remains wet due to mucus secretion. The mucus and the hair help
in filtering the dust particles out from inhaled air.
Pharynx:
It is a tube-like structure which continues after the nasal passage.

Larynx:
This is also called voice box.

Trachea:
This is composed of rings of cartilage. Cartilaginous rings prevent the collapse of trachea in
the absence of air.

Bronchi:
Trachea divides into a pair of bronchi, with one bronchus going to each lung.

Alveoli:
These are air sacs present in the lungs. These are composed of a very thin membrane through
which gases can diffuse in and out easily. The walls of the alveoli contain an extensive network
of blood-vessels.

Exchange of gases:
When we breathe in, we lift our ribs, flatten our diaphragm, and the chest cavity becomes
larger. Because of this, air is sucked into the lungs and fills the expanded alveoli. The blood
brings carbon dioxide from the rest of the body for release into the alveoli, and the oxygen in
the alveolar air is taken up by the blood vessels to be transported to all the cells in the body.

In humans, the respiratory pigment haemoglobin has a very high affinity for oxygen. This
pigment is present in the red blood corpuscles. It binds to oxygen and transports it to all the
cells of the body. Carbon dioxide is more soluble in water than oxygen is and hence, it is mostly
transported in the dissolved form in our blood.