Life Processes

The word life processes means

the processes take place in the
human body which are needed for
the existence of life on Earth.

For example – Digestion,

respiration, excretion,
reproduction, etc.
Nutrition
• Autotrophic
nutrition

• Heterotrophic
nutrition
 Autotrophic Nutrition
• Synthesis of food by photosynthesis
• Photosynthesis equation- 6CO2+6H2O (sunlight
and chlorophyll)C6H12O6 + 6O2
• Two phases of photosynthesis- light and dark
reactions
• Light reaction- light energy absorbed, H2O split
into H2 and O2, ATP and NADPH2 synthesized
• Dark reaction- CO2 reduced to carbohydrates
 Heterotrophic Nutrition
• Generally derive energy from plants and
animal sources
• Mainly of three types— holozoic (Obtaining
nourishment as animals do by ingesting complex organic matter),

parasitic (having the nature or habits of a parasite or leech), and

saprophytic (feeding on dead or decaying organic matter)
• Digestion- mechanical and chemical
reduction of ingested nutrients
 Photosynthesis
• Meaning – the process of the synthesis of
carbohydrates or food in presence of carbon
dioxide and light is called photosynthesis
• The ways:
1. Absorption of light energy by chlorophyll.
2. Conversion of light energy to chemical
energy and splitting of water molecules into
hydrogen and oxygen
3. Reduction of carbon dioxide to
carbohydrates.
 Stomata
• Meaning - A minute epidermal pore in a
leaf or stem through which gases and
water vapor can pass
• The opening and closing of stomata is
controlled by guard cells
• When the guard cells absorb water the
stoma open and when guard cells don’t
have water, the stoma close.
 Nutrition in Amoeba
• Amoeba takes in food using temporary
finger like extensions of cell surface which
fuse over food particle forming food
vacuole .
• Inside the food vacuole, complex
substances are broken down into simpler
ones which then diffuse into the cytoplasm.
• The remaining undigested food is moves to
the surface of the cell and thrown out.
Nutrition in Human Beings
• The nutrition in human beings takes
place in the human alimentary canal.
• The food in taken in through mouth
which is mixed with the saliva and
passed to oesophagus. Saliva
contains salivary amylase that breaks
down starch which is a complex
molecule to give sugar.
• The food then goes to the stomach
where the digestion process starts.
• The food is then passed to the small
and then large intestine where it is
reabsorbed and then is thrown out
through Anus.
 Respiration
• Respiration involves the exchange of
gases and oxidation of food in the
presence of air to release energy.
• Inhalation and exhalation of air occur due
to change in air pressure in lungs
• Diffusion helps in exchange of gases in
lungs and tissues.
 Transportation in humans
• Blood is a fluid connective tissue that
circulates through heart and blood vessels.
• Blood consists of plasma with RBCs,
WBCs and platelets. Arteries transport
blood from heart to the tissues.
• Blood pressure is the force that blood
exerts against the wall of a vessel.
Lymphatic system circulates Lymph or
tissue fluid.
Circulatory system in humans
• Human heart is a 4 chambered muscular
pump located in our chest cavity.
• In humans the blood flows through 2 loops
-Pulmonary and systemic circulation.
• The heartbeat is initiated and regulated by
cardiac muscles.
• The fish and amphibians have 2 and 3
chambered heart respectively.
 Transportation in plants
• The transport system in plants works with
the help of conducting tubes known as
xylem and phloem.
• The rise of water and dissolved minerals in
the xylem vessels against the force of
gravity is known as Ascent of sap.
• Transpiration is the process by which
water vapor escapes from the stomata in
the leaves of living plants.
 Excretion
• Biological process of eliminating metabolic
waste substances is called excretion.
• Human excretory system consists of pair
of kidney and ureter, a Urinary bladder
and a urethra.
• Nephrons are structural and functional
units of kidney. Ultra filtration, Tubular
reabsorption, and Tubular secretion are
the steps of Urine formation inside a
nephron.
 Structure of NEPHRON
• Each kidney has numerous filtration units
called Nephrons.
• These Nephrons consist of Glomerulus,
Bowman’s capsule, Renal artery, renal
vein, collecting duct, etc.
• The blood is filtered in these units, then
collected in the collecting tubule/duct.
• This collection is then passed to an organ
called urinary bladder where it is stored
until thrown out of the body.
 Excretion in Plants
• The plants also give out some toxic
wastes.
• Plants don’t have any excretory system as
human beings have.
• So how do they throw out the toxic
waste?
• They throw this waste through many ways
such as transpiration, throwing of wilted
leaves, giving out it as resins and gums,
the toxic salts are first stored in the leaves
then these leaves are thrown out, etc.
 RECAP
Today we learnt:
• Life processes
• Nutrition
• Photosynthesis
• Stomata
• Nutrition in Amoeba
• Nutrition in Human Beings
• Respiration
• Transportation in Humans
• Circulatory system in Humans
• Transportation in plants
• Excretion
• Structure of nephron
• Excretion in plants
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