Life Processes

Criteria to decide whether something is alive :-

•The most important criteria to decide whether something is alive is
movement.

•All living things move without any external help. Some movements are
easily visible like the movements of body parts.

•Some movements are not easily visible like molecular movements. The
molecular movements in cells and tissues is necessary for all 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.
 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.

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.
3) Nutrition :-
• Nutrition is the process of taking food by an organism and its utilization 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.
3) Nutrition :-
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.
•TYPES OF HETEROTROPHIC NUTRITION
•i) Saprohytic 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, paramecium, birds, fishes, humans
etc.
 Question time:

1. Why is diffusion insufficient to meet the oxygen requirements

of multi-cellular organisms like humans?

2. What criteria do we use to decide whether something is

alive?

3. What are outside raw materials used for by an organism?

4. What processes would you consider essential for maintaining

life?
4) Nutrition in plants :-
• Photosynthesis :- 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
4) Nutrition in plants :-
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 :- are tiny pores present in the leaves through which exchange of
gases takes place. Each stoma has a pair of guard cells which controls the
opening and closing of the Stomatal pore. When water enters the guard cells, it
swells and the pore opens and when the guard cells lose water, it shrinks and
the pore closes.
5a) Activity to show that chlorophyll is necessary for
photosynthesis :-
Take a potted plant having variegated leaves (croton plant or money plant). Keep it in a
dark room for three days so that all the starch is used up. Then keep it in sunlight for 6
hours. Then take a leaf from the plant and mark the green areas of the leaf on a sheet of
paper. Then dip the leaf in boiling water to make it soft. Then dip the leaf in alcohol and
heat it in a water bath to decolourise it and remove the chlorophyll. Then wash the leaf in
water and dip it in dilute iodine solution. It will be seen that only the green parts of the
leaf turns blue black. This shows that chlorophyll is necessary for photosynthesis.
b) Activity to show that carbon dioxide is necessary for
photosynthesis
Take two potted plants of the same size and keep them in a dark room for three days so that all the
starch is used up.

Then keep the plants on separate glass plates. Keep a watch glass containing some potassium
hydroxide near one plant to absorb carbon dioxide.

Cover both the plants with bell jars and seal the bottom of the jars with Vaseline to make it air tight.
b) Activity to show that carbon dioxide is necessary for
photosynthesis
Keep the plants in sunlight for three hours.

Then take a leaf from each plant and test for starch.

The leaf of the plant kept in the jar containing potassium hydroxide does not show the presence of
starch.

This shows that carbon dioxide is necessary for photosynthesis.

6) Nutrition in animals :-
a) Nutrition in 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 into cytoplasm. The
undigested food is then sent out through the surface of the cell.
b) Nutrition in Human beings :-
Nutrition in human beings takes place in the digestive system. It consists of the
alimentary canal (It is tube extending from the mouth to the anus) 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.
The small intestine :- The exit of food from the stomach is
regulated by a sphincter muscle which releases it in small
amounts into the small intestine. From the stomach, the food
now enters the small intestine. This is the longest part of the
alimentary canal which is fitted into a compact space because
of extensive coiling. 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.
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 provides an alkaline medium to
for the proper digestion in small intestine. Bile breaks down fats into smaller globules
(Emulsification). 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 coverts 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.
FIVE DIFFERENT STEPS OF NUTRITION

Ingestion :- The process of intake of food is called

ingestion.

Digestion :- The process of breaking down large

organic molecules into smaller molecules is called
digestion.

Absorption :- It is the process by which digested

food passes from the alimentary canal into the
blood. It with the help of villi present in the wall of
small intestine.

Assimilation :- The distribution of digested food to

various cells of the body is called assimilation.
These digested food utilised in each and every cell
for obtaining energy.

Egestion :- The elimination of undigested food

formed in the large intestine through anus.
 Question time:

1. What are the differences between autotrophic nutrition

and heterotrophic nutrition?
2. Where do plants get each of the raw materials required
for photosynthesis?
3. What is the role of the acid in our stomach?
4. What is the function of digestive enzymes?
5. How is the small intestine designed to absorb digested
food?
7a) Respiration :-
• Respiration is the process by which food is burnt in the cells of the body with
the help of oxygen to release energy. It takes place in the mitochondria of the
cells.

• The energy released during respiration is used to make ATP molecules

(Adenosine tri phosphate) from ADP molecules (Adenosine di phosphate) and
inorganic phosphate.
Energy
ADP + inorganic Phosphate ATP
from respiration
7a) Respiration :-
• 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.

water
• ATP ADP + Energy
b) Types of respiration :-
• There are two main types of respiration. They are aerobic and anaerobic respiration

Aerobic respiration :- Takes place in the presence of oxygen.

It produces more energy.
The end products are carbon dioxide, water and energy.
It takes place in most organisms.

• In aerobic respiration glucose is converted into pyruvate in the cytoplasm in the presence of
oxygen and then in the presence of oxygen, pyruvate is converted into carbon dioxide, water and
energy in the mitochondria.

•
presence of oxygen presence of oxygen
Glucose Pyruvate CO2 + H2O + Energy
in cytoplasm in mitochondria
b) Types of respiration :-
• There are two main types of respiration.

Anaerobic respiration :- Takes place in the absence of oxygen.

It produces less energy.
The end products are lactic acid or ethanol, carbon dioxide, and energy.
It takes place in muscle cells and yeast

• In anaerobic respiration in muscle cells, glucose is converted into pyruvate and in the absence of
oxygen pyruvate is converted into lactic acid and energy.

presence of oxygen absence of oxygen

•Glucose Pyruvate Lactic acid + Energy
in cytoplasm in muscle cells

• In anaerobic respiration in yeast, glucose is converted into pyruvate and in the absence of oxygen
pyruvate is converted into ethanol, carbon dioxide and energy. This process is called fermentation.

presence of oxygen absence of oxygen

•Glucose Pyruvate Ethanol + CO2 + Energy
in cytoplasm in yeast
 Breakdown of glucose by various pathways :-

presence
of oxygen
CO2 + H2O + Energy
(in mitochondria)

absence
of oxygen
•Glucose Pyruvate Lactic acid + Energy
in cytoplasm + (in muscle
Energy cells)

absence
of oxygen
Ethanol + CO2 + Energy
(in yeast)
Exchanges of gases in plants :-

• At night- No photosynthesis so CO₂ eliminate through stomata

•During day time- CO₂ generated during respiration is used up for

photosynthesis hence there is no CO₂ release instead oxygen releases
Exchanges of gases in aquatic animals :-

• Terrestrial animals use oxygen from the atmosphere but aquatic animals
use dissolved oxygen in water.

•Since amount of dissolved oxygen is low compared to the amount of

oxygen in air, the rate of breathing in aquatic organism is much faster
than the terrestrial organisms.

•Fishes take water through mouth and pass through gills where the
dissolved oxygen is taken to blood.
b) Respiration in Humans :-
• 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 phraynx, 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. (Hb)
Mecahanism 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.
 Question time:

1. What advantage over an aquatic organism does a terrestrial organism have

with regard to obtaining oxygen for respiration?

2. What are the different ways in which glucose is oxidised to provide

energy in various organisms?

3. How is oxygen and carbon dioxide transported in human beings?

4. How are the lungs designed in human beings to maximise the area for
exchange of gases?
8) Transportation :-
a) Transportation in Human beings :-
• The main transport system in human beings is the circulatory system.

•It consists of

•Blood
•Blood vessels-(Arteries, Veins, Capillaries)
•Heart
8) Transportation :-
a) Transportation in Human beings :-
i) Blood :- Transports food, oxygen and waste products.

It consists of plasma, red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC) and
platelets.
•Plasma transports food, water, carbon dioxide, nitrogenous waste etc.

•Red blood cells transports oxygen.

•White blood cells kills harmful microbes and protects the body.

•Platelets help in clotting of blood and prevents loss of blood during injury.
 BLOOD VESSELS

i) Arteries :- Carry pure blood (oxygenated blood) from the heart to all parts
of the body

•They are thick walled and do not have valves.

ii) Veins :- carry impure blood (deoxygenated blood) from all parts of the body
to the heart

•They are thin walled and have valves.

 BLOOD VESSELS

iii) Capillaries :- Are very narrow blood vessels which connects arteries and
veins together.

They exchange of food, water, oxygen, carbon dioxide etc. between the blood
and cells take place through the capillaries.
 Heart :- It 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 the heart ( Circulation of blood ) :-
• 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 enters the left atrium through pulmonary vein
• Working of the heart ( Circulation of blood ) :-

• Then the left atrium contracts and the oxygenated blood is pumped into left ventricle

• Then left ventricle contracts, oxygenated blood goes through aorta and distributed the
oxygen to all parts of the body

• Since blood flows through the heart twice in one cycle, it is called double circulation.
Working of the heart (Circulation of blood) :-
 Lymph

• It 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.
 Functions of Lymph
• Lymph transports digested fats from intestine

• Lymph drains excess fluids from intercellular spaces back into the blood.

• It contains lymphocytes which kills germs and protects the body

Hearts of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fishes :-

•i) The heart in mammals :- 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.
Hearts of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fishes :-

ii) The heart in amphibians and reptiles :- They 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.

Hearts of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fishes :-
iii) The heart in fishes :- They have only two chambers

Blood is pumped into gills and oxygenated there and pass directly to the rest of
the body

So blood pass only once through the heart in one cycle.

BLOOD PRESSURE :-

The pressure exerted by the blood on the wall of artery is called blood pressure

•Systolic pressure :- The pressure of blood during ventricular systole

(contraction). Normal systolic pressure is 120 mm of Hg.

•Diastolic pressure. The pressure of blood during ventricular diastole

(Relaxation). Normal diastolic pressure is 80 mm of Hg.
BLOOD PRESSURE :-

•The instrument used to check BP is sphygmomanometer

•The high blood pressure id called hypertension

• Hypertension leads to rupture of artery and internal bleeding.

BLOOD CLOTTING :-
 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.

b) Transportation in plants :-
•i) Xylem :-

•Water and minerals enter the roots by diffusion to form root pressure.

• But this root pressure is not enough to transport the water in big trees.

•So 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 (root, fruit or
seed) of the plant. This process is called translocation.

•The phloem consists of sieve tubes and companion cells.

•Food (sugar or sucrose) from the leaves is transferred to the phloem by the
energy of ATP molecules, which increases the osmotic pressure and water
move into phloem tissues. (Soluble form).
•ii) Phloem :-

• So, because of osmotic pressure phloem allows the materials to move from
one cell to another and finally food reach into the storage organ.

•Phloem allow transport of food materials in upward and downward direction.

 Question time:

1. What are the components of the transport system in human beings?

What are the functions of these components?

2. Why is it necessary to separate oxygenated and deoxygenated blood in

mammals and birds?

3. What are the components of the transport system in highly organised

plants?

4. How are water and minerals transported in plants?

5. How is food transported in plants?

 Excretion
•The metabolic activities in our life produces many harmful nitrogenous
materials.

•These materials should not store in our body.

• Excretion is the process by which the removal of harmful metabolic waste

from the body.
 Excretion
•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 many

specialized organs called excretory system.
 Excretion in Human beings :-
• The excretory system consists of a pair of kidneys , a pair of ureters,
urinary bladder and urethra.
•Kidneys are located in the abdomen, one on either side of the backbone.
•Urine produced in the kidneys passed through ureter into urinary bladder
(stored) and release through urethra.
 Nephron
• Each kidney is made up of millions of filtering units called nephron

•Nephron filter the nitrogenous waste urea and uric acid form the blood.

• 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.
 Nephron
• 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.
 Nephron
• 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.
 Artificial kidney (Haemodialysis)
• In the case of kidney failure, an artificial kidney can be used.

• It is a devise to remove nitrogenous waste from the blood through dialysis.

 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.
 Excretion in plants
• 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 into the soil.
 Question time:

1. Describe the structure and functioning of nephrons.

2. What are the methods used by plants to get rid of excretory

products?

3. How is the amount of urine produced regulated?

 Class Test:
1. What are enzymes? Name any one enzyme of our digestive system and
write its function
2. Write the balanced chemical equation for the process of photosynthesis
3. When do the desert plants take up carbon dioxide and perform
photosynthesis?
4. Draw a diagram of human excretory system and label kidneys, ureters on it
5. Write the functions of (i) Digestive enzymes (ii) Hydrochloric acid (iii) Villi

6. Explain how does the exchange of gases occur in plants across the surface
of stems, roots and leaves
7. Mention the raw materials required for photosynthesis
8. Why do herbivores have longer, small intestine than carnivores ?
9. In mammals and birds why is it necessary to separate oxygenated and de-
oxygenated blood ?
10. What would be the consequences of deficiency of hemoglobin in your body?
 Class Test:
1. What is the role of HCl in our stomach ?
2. What is emulsification of fats ?
3. Which protein digesting enzyme is present in pancreatic juice ?
4. List in tabular form three differences between arteries and veins.
5. Draw a diagram of excretory system in human beings and label the following
parts. Aorta, kidney, urinary bladder and urethra.
6. How is urine produced and eliminated ?

1. Why do the walls of the trachea not collapse’when there is less air in it?
2. In human alimentary canal, name the site of complete digestion of various
components of food. Explain the process of digestion.
3. Draw a diagram to show open stomatal pore and label on it:
(i) guard cells
(ii) chloroplast
4. State two functions of stomata.
5. How do guard cells regulate the opening and closing of stomatal pore?
 Class Test:
1. Draw a diagram of human respiratory system and label the following:
(i) part where air is filtered by fine hair and mucus
(ii) part which terminates in balloon – like structures
(iii) balloon – like structures where exchange of gases takes place.
(iv) part which separates chest cavity from abdominal cavity.
2. Why is the rate of breathing in aquatic organisms much faster than in
terrestrial organisms?
3. What are the final products after digestion of carbohydrates and proteins?
4. What is saliva? State its role in the digestion of food

1. Explain the process of nutrition in Amoeba

2. How are the alveoli designed to maximise the exchange of gases?
3. Name two excretory products other than 02 and CO2 in plants
4. Draw a schematic representation of transport and exchange of oxygen and
carbon dioxide during transportation of blood in human beings and label on
it:
Lung capillaries, Pulmonary artery to lungs,
Aorta to body, Pulmonary veins from lungs.
 Class Test:
1. Draw a diagram depicting Human Alimentary Canal and label on it:
a) Gall bladder, Liver and Pancreas.
(b) State the roles of Liver and Pancreas.
(c) Name the organ which performs the following functions in humans:
(i) Absorption of digested food
(ii) Absorption of water.
2. (a) Draw a diagram to show the nutrition in Amoeba and label the parts used
for this purpose.
Mention any other purpose served by this part other than nutrition.
(b) Name the glands associated with digestion of starch in human digestive
tract and mention their role.
(c) How is required pH maintained in the stomach and small intestine?

1. Leaves of a healthy potted plant were coated with vaseline to block the
stomata. Will this plant remain healthy for long?
State three reasons for your answer.
(b) State any two differences between autotrophic nutrition and
heterotrophic nutrition.
2. Name the green dot like structures in some cells observed by a student
when a leaf peel was viewed under a microscope. What is this green colour
due to?