MEERUT PUBLIC SCHOOL (MAIN WING)

Class X/Biology/ Ch: Life Processes (Key notes)

Nutrition

It is a process of intake & utilization of nutrients (or food) by an organism. It may be:
1. Autotrophic nutrition: Organisms make their own food.
i.) Photo autotrophic: Organisms prepare their food by photosynthesis e.g. all green plants.
ii.) Chemo- autotrophic: Organisms require only inorganic materials e.g. hydrogen bacteria, iron
bacteria, nitrifying bacteria.
2. Heterotrophic nutrition: Organisms cannot make their own food. It may be:
i.) Saprotrophic nutrition: Organisms obtain their food from decaying organic matter e.g. fungi
ii.) Parasitic nutrition: Organisms derive their food from the body of another living organism. e.g.
several fungi, bacteria and some animal like round worm.
iii.) Holotrophic or Holozoic nutrition: Organisms take complete food material in to their body.
e.g. the human being and most of the animals.
3. Symbiotic Nutrition: In this mode two different species live in association. e.g. Lichens (fungus
& algae) & certain sponges and hydra have unicellular green algae, in their cells.

Nutrition in green plants

Photosynthesis: 6CO2 + 12 H2O Light & chlorophyll C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H2O
Site of photosynthesis: are chloroplasts, present in the photosynthetic cell (or mesophyll cells).
CO2 is diffused in through Stomata and water is absorbed by the root.
Mechanism of photosynthesis: i.) Absorption of sunlight energy by chlorophyll
ii.) Conversion of light energy in to chemical energy & splitting of water in to hydrogen & oxygen.
iii.) Reduction of CO2 by hydrogen to form carbohydrates (glucose).

Nutrition in animals
1. Ingestion: It is the process of taking (or eating) food in to the body.
2. Digestion: Large molecules of food are broken into small water soluble molecules.
3. Absorption: Digested food is absorbed by the body.
4. Assimilation: Absorbed food is used for energy, growth and repair.
5. Egestion: Undigested food is removed from the body.

Nutrition in simple unicellular animals: Amoeba

1. Ingestion: Amoeba ingest food
particle by pseudopodia around the
food.
2. Digestion: The enzymes from enter
into the food vacuole and break down the food.
3. Absorption: The digested food is absorbed directly into the cytoplasm & vacuole disappears.
4. Assimilation: Absorbed food is used to obtain energy.
5. Egestion: Undigested food is thrown out of the body through rupturing of cell membrane.

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Nutrition in Human beings
In higher organisms it occurs through alimentary canal & digestive glands.
1. Mouth: It for ingestion
2. Buccal cavity: Tongue mixes food with saliva and teeth chew & grind the food
-Salivary glands secret saliva (salivary amylase or ptyalin). It breaks some carbohydrate into
maltose & limit dextrin.
3. Pharynx: it is funnel shaped part where the food & air passes cross each other
4. Oesophagus: It conducts the food by peristaltic movement in to the stomach.
5. Stomach:
-Mucus glands secretes mucus which protects
inner lining of stomach from acid.
-Acidic glands cells secrete HCl which kills
bacteria present in the food, activate pepsin
- Pectic (or chief) cells secrete pepsin & lipase.
Pepsin converts protein into peptides. Lipase
converts fats into fatty acid & glycerol.
6. Small Intestine: It is site of complete digestion
& absorption of food.
-Liver secretes alkaline bile juice (contains no
enzymes) which get stored in gall bladder. It
breaks down larger fat globules into smaller
droplets (emulsification).
-Pancreas secretes pancreatic juice in
duodenum. Pancreatic amylase digests the starch into maltose, iso-maltose & limit dextrin.
Trypsin converts proteins in to amino acids. Pancreatic lipase digests fats into fatty acids &
glycerol.
-Intestinal glands secrete different enzymes. Carbohydrases convert carbohydrates in to glucose,
proteases convert proteins into amino acids and lipase converts fats into fatty acid & glycerol.
-The inner surface of small intestine has millions of tiny fingers like projections called villi. They
absorb digested food which goes into blood.
Assimilation of digested food: The blood carries dissolved food to all the part of the body. It is
utilised in obtaining energy, maintenance and repairing.
7. Large intestine: It changes the undigested food into semisolid faeces. Rectum temporarily
stores the faeces and finally expelled them out through anus.

Respiration
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The process of releasing energy from food is called respiration.

Types of respiration: Aerobic & Anaerobic respiration

In presence of O2 CO2 + H2O + Energy (38ATP)
(in mitochondria)

Glucose (C6H12O6) In cytoplasm Pyruvate Absence of O2 Ethanol (C2H5OH) + CO2 + Energy

(6-carbon molecule) (CH3COCOOH) (in yeast cell) (Also called fermentation)
(3-carbon molecule)
Lack of O2 Lactic acid + Energy
(in muscle cells) (causes muscle cramp)

Respiration in plants:
i.) During day the net gas exchange is O2 diffuses out, CO2 diffuses in through stomata.
ii.) During night the net exchange is O2 diffuses in, CO2 diffuses out through stomata.

Respiration in humans
1. Nostrils: The air is drawn into our body through nostrils.
2. Nasal chamber: The dust particles present in air are trapped in
nasal hair & mucus.
3. Pharynx: From the nasal passage, air enters in to pharynx and then
goes to wind pipe.
4. Trachea or wind pipe: It is surrounded by rings of soft bone
(cartilage). The upper end of trachea has voice box called larynx
(Adam’s apple).
5. Bronchi: The trachea is divided in two bronchi which are connected
to two lungs.
6. Lungs: The lungs are covered by thin membranes called pleura & enclosed in a rib cage. In
lungs each bronchus divides into bronchioles. The bronchioles have tiny pouch like air sacs at
their ends called alveoli. Gaseous exchange takes place in alveoli.

Mechanism:
Inhalation of O2 Exhalation of CO2
i.) Ribs moves outward & upward. i.) Ribs move inward & downward.
ii.) Diaphragm contracts & becomes flattend. ii.) Diaphragm relaxes & become dome
shaped.
iii.) Volume of thoracic cavity increases iii.) Volume of thoracic cavity decreases,
pressure decreases. pressure increases.
iv.) Air from outside rushes in to the lungs. iv.) Air from lungs rushes outside.

Rate of breathing: The average breathing rate at rest is about 15 - 18 times/min.

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 Transportation

Transport in plants
i.) Xylem: It transports water (ascent of sap). It consists of: Vessels (lignified cell wall, open
ended)), Tracheids (lignifies cell wall, close ended), Xylem parenchyma (living) and Xylem fibres.
Water and minerals are absorbed by the root of the plant from the soil & transported upward to
the various parts through interconnected xylem. Root pressure as well transpiration pull helps in
transportation while at night the effect of root pressure is more important.
ii.) Phloem: It transports food (translocation). It consists of: Sieve tube; Companion cells, Phloem
parenchyma and Phloem fibres (dead). The movement of food in phloem takes place by utilizing
energy. The sugar made in leaves is loaded into the interconnected sieve tube and carried to all
the parts of plants.

Transportation in humans (Blood circulatory system)

1. Blood: i.) Plasma: It is a colourless, liquid contains about 90% of water and other substances
ii.) RBC (Red blood corpuscles or Erythrocytes): They do not have nuclei. They contain red
pigment haemoglobin which carries oxygen.
iii.) WBC (White blood corpuscles or Leucocytes): They act as soldier & scavengers; helps in
healing of wound and produce antibodies.
iv.) Platelets: helps in coagulation or clotting of blood.
2. Heart: It has four chambers. The upper two chambers are
auricles & lower two chambers are called ventricles (with
thicker walls). The L- auricle is connected to the L-ventricle
through a bicuspid valve & R- auricle is connected to R-
ventricle through a tricuspid valve. These valves prevent the
back flow of blood in to auricle.
3. Blood Vessels: i.) Arteries: Arteries are thick walled. They
are connected to heart by semilunar [Link] artery
called aorta carries oxygenated blood from L- ventricle to all the part of body (except lungs).
Pulmonary artery carries deoxygenated blood from R-
ventricle to the lungs. Pulmonary artery Pulmonary vein
ii.) Veins: Veins are thin walled. They have valves in
them which allow unidirectional flow of blood. Main
vein, Vena cava carries deoxygenated blood from all the
part of the body (except lungs) to R- auricle. Pulmonary
vein carries oxygenated blood from lungs to L- auricle of
heart.
Vena Cava Aorta
iii.) Capillaries: They are thin walled tubes which
connect arteries to veins.
Double circulation: Blood travels twice through the heart in one complete cycle. The pathway of
blood from the heart to the lungs and back to the heart is called pulmonary circulation. The
pathway of the blood from heart to the rest of body and back to the heart is called systemic
circulation.
Blood pressure: The pressure at which blood is pumped around the body by the heart is called
blood pressure. It is measured by an instrument called sphygmomanometer. i.) Systolic pressure:
is the pressure of blood inside the artery during ventricular contraction. It is 120 mm of Hg ii.)
Diastolic pressure: is the pressure of blood inside the artery during ventricular relaxation. It is 80
mm of Hg.

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 Excretion

It is a process of removal of toxic metabolic waste (nitrogenous) from the body of an organism
and it also maintains water balance in body.

Excretory system in humans

It consist of two kidneys, two ureters, urinary bladed and urethra.
1. Kidneys: Kidney is made of numerous microscopic excretory units
called nephrons. Blood vessels, lymph vessels, nerves and ureters
enter or leave the kidney through a concavity called the hilus or
hilum. The renal artery brings in the blood in to kidney and cleaned
blood is carried away by the renal vein.
2. Ureters (or excretory tubes): These are a pair of long, narrow,
tubes one from each kidney, open into urinary bladder.
3. Urinary bladder: It temporary stores the urine.
4. Urethra: It carries the urine to outside of body.

Structure & function of a Nephron

1. Bowmen’s capsule: It is a cup shaped sac. It contains group of blood
capillaries, called glomerulus. These blood capillaries surround the
nephric tubule and finally join a renal vein (to sent clear blood). It allows PCT DCT
ultra filtration. Only the small molecules like glucose, amino acids, salts,
urea and water passes through the glomerulus and collects as filtrate in
the Bowmen’s capsule.
2. Nephric tubule: It contains: Proximal convoluted tubule (PCT), Loop
of Henle and Distal convoluted tubule (DCT). Loop of Henle
Nephric tubule allows selective reabsorption of the useful substance
like glucose, amino acids, salt and water in to blood capillaries. The waste material like urea and
excess of water remain behind in the tubule. This left behind liquid is urine (1-2 L/day).

Renal failure (Kidney Failure): An infection, an injury, abnormal

blood pressure, very high blood sugar can damage the kidney due to
which it stops working. To remove toxic substance either kidney is
transplanted or patient is treated by a procedure called dialysis.
Dialysis: This machine contains coiled tubes of selectively permeable
membrane in a tank containing dialysis solution. The dialysis solution
contains similar concentration to those in normal blood. As the
patient’s blood (from artery) passes through the dialyzing solution
most of the wastes present in it passes through the selectively
permeable tubes in to the dialyzing solution. The clear blood is
pumped back into a vein of the patient.