BIOLOGY
LIFE PROCESSES
1. What are Life Processes?
Life processes are essential functions carried out by living
organisms to maintain life. These include:
Nutrition
Respiration
Transportation
Excretion
2. Nutrition
Nutrition involves the intake of food and its utilization of energy.
Autotrophic Nutrition: Organisms (like plants) that
prepare their food via photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis Equation:
6CO2 + 6H2O + Sunlight + Chlorophyll --------- C6H12O6 +
6O2
o Requires sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water. Occurs in
chloroplasts.
Heterotrophic Nutrition: Organisms (like animals) that
depend on others for food.
Types include:
o Herbivores: Plant eaters
o Carnivores: Meat eaters
o Omnivores: Eat both plants and animals
o Saprophytes: Feed on dead organic matter (e.g.,
fungi)
Human Digestive System: Consists of organs like mouth,
esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver,
and pancreas.
3. Respiration
Respiration is the process of breaking down glucose to produce
energy. It can be:
Aerobic Respiration: In the presence of oxygen. Occurs in
the mitochondria and produces carbon dioxide, water, and
energy.
Equation:
C6H12O6 + 6O2 -------- 6CO2 + 6H2O + Energy
Anaerobic Respiration: In the absence of oxygen.
Produces lactic acid or ethanol and energy. Occurs in yeast
and some bacteria, and human muscles during vigorous
exercise.
4. Transportation
Transportation refers to the movement of materials within an
organism.
In Plants:
o Xylem transports water and minerals from roots to
other parts of the plant.
o Phloem transports food (produced in leaves) to various
parts of the plant.
o Transpiration: The loss of water vapor from the aerial
parts of a plant, mainly through stomata. It helps in the
cooling and absorption of water and minerals.
In Animals (Circulatory System):
o Heart: Pumps blood throughout the body.
o Blood Vessels: Include arteries, veins, and capillaries.
o Blood Components: Plasma, red blood cells (RBCs),
white blood cells (WBCs), and platelets.
o Lymph: A clear fluid that helps in the transportation of
substances and the immune response.
5. Excretion
Excretion is the removal of waste products from the body.
In Humans:
o Kidneys filter blood to remove nitrogenous wastes in
the form of urine.
o Nephrons are the structural and functional units of the
kidneys.
o Dialysis is used when kidneys fail to perform this
function properly.
In Plants: Plants excrete oxygen (as a byproduct of
photosynthesis) and excess water through transpiration.
They also store waste products in leaves, bark, or vacuoles.
Key Terms
Life Processes: Basic functions carried out by living
organisms to maintain life, such as nutrition, respiration,
transportation, and excretion.
Nutrition: The process by which organisms obtain and
utilize food for energy and growth.
Autotrophs: Organisms that prepare their food (e.g., plants)
through photosynthesis.
Heterotrophs: Organisms that depend on other organisms
for food (e.g., animals).
Photosynthesis: The process by which green plants
synthesize food using sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water in
the presence of chlorophyll.
Chlorophyll: The green pigment in plants that captures light
energy for photosynthesis.
Stomata: Small pores on the leaf surface that regulate gas
exchange and transpiration in plants.
Enzymes: Biological catalysts that speed up chemical
reactions, especially in digestion and metabolism.
Digestion: The breakdown of complex food substances into
simpler forms that can be absorbed and utilized by the body.
Respiration: The process of breaking down glucose to
release energy for the body’s metabolic activities.
Aerobic Respiration: Respiration that takes place in the
presence of oxygen, producing carbon dioxide, water, and
energy.
Anaerobic Respiration: Respiration that occurs in the
absence of oxygen, producing either ethanol and carbon
dioxide (in yeast) or lactic acid (in muscles).
Mitochondria: Organelles in cells where aerobic respiration
occurs; known as the "powerhouse" of the cell.
Glycolysis: The first step in respiration, where glucose is
broken down into pyruvate in the cytoplasm of cells.
Pyruvate: The product of glycolysis, which is further broken
down during aerobic or anaerobic respiration.
Xylem: Vascular tissue in plants that transports water and
minerals from the roots to the leaves.
Phloem: Vascular tissue in plants that transports food
(mainly in the form of sucrose) from the leaves to other parts
of the plant.
Transpiration: The process of water loss from plants,
mainly through stomata, which helps in cooling and nutrient
transport.
Heart: A muscular organ that pumps blood through the
circulatory system in animals.
Blood Vessels: Tubes through which blood flows in the
body, including arteries, veins, and capillaries.
Arteries: Blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood away
from the heart to the body.
Veins: Blood vessels that carry deoxygenated blood back to
the heart.
Capillaries: Small blood vessels where the exchange of
gases, nutrients, and waste occurs between the blood and
body tissues.
Lymph: A clear fluid involved in the immune response and
the transportation of certain substances like fats and white
blood cells.
Kidneys: Organs that filter blood to remove waste and
excess substances, forming urine.
Nephron: The functional unit of the kidney, responsible for
filtering blood and producing urine.
Glomerulus: A cluster of capillaries within the nephron
where blood filtration begins.
Bowman Capsule: A cup-shaped structure that surrounds
the glomerulus and collects the filtrate from blood.
Urine: A liquid waste product produced by the kidneys,
containing urea and other waste materials.
Dialysis: A medical procedure used to filter the blood when
the kidneys fail to perform their function.
Excretion: The process by which metabolic wastes are
eliminated from the body.
Hemoglobin: A protein in red blood cells that carries
oxygen from the lungs to tissues and carbon dioxide back to
the lungs for exhalation.
ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate): The energy currency of
the cell, produced during respiration and used for cellular
activities.
Lactic Acid: A product of anaerobic respiration in muscles,
causing muscle fatigue during strenuous activity.
Villi: Small finger-like projections in the small intestine that
increase surface area for absorption of nutrients.
Alveoli: Tiny air sacs in the lungs where gas exchange
(oxygen and carbon dioxide) occurs during respiration.
