Ch - Life Process

LIFE PROCESSES
CH 6
LIFE PROCESSES are the basic functions and processes performed by living
organisms which are essential for their survival and maintenance of their
bodies and daily activities. Eg. Digestion, respiration, excretion etc
NUTRITION is defined as the process of intake of nutrients and its utilization by

an organism in different biological activities.
Examples of nutrients – Fats , carbohydrates, proteins, minerals , vitamins
Modes of Nutrition:
1. Autotrophic nutrition (self,nourishment)
2. Heterotrophic nutrition (other,nourishment)
Differences between autotrophic and heterotrophic nutrition:
Autotrophic Nutrition Heterotrophic Nutrition

Kind of nutrition in which inorganic Kind of nutrition in which organisms
materials like CO2 , water etc. are are dependent on autotrophs for
utilized to prepare food by an their food supply directly or
organism. indirectly.
Eg. Green plants and Blue-green Eg. Animals , fungi etc.
algae (Photosynthetic)
AUTOTROPHIC NUTRITION IN PLANTS
PHOTOSYNTHESIS- the process by which autotrophs manufacture their own

food by taking in CO2 and H2O with the help of solar energy inside chlorophyll
containing cells. Oxygen is liberated in the process.
Q: What are the main events involved in the process of photosynthesis?
i. Absorption of light energy by chlorophyll.
ii. Conversion of light energy into chemical energy and Splitting of water
molecules (Photolysis) into hydrogen and oxygen. Oxygen is released
into the atmosphere. This is light dependent phase. It takes place in the
structures called GRANA within chloroplasts.
iii. Reduction of carbon dioxide into carbohydrates- The hydrogen produced
by splitting of water combines with CO2 and carbohydrates are formed.
This is light independent phase. It takes place in the STROMA within
chloroplasts.
Q: Describe the structure and function of stomata in dicot plants.

Sol:
Structure: Stomata are the tiny pores present on the surface of leaves. Each
stomatal pore (Stoma) is surrounded by a pair of guard cells which controls its
opening and closing.
When water enters the guard cells, they swell and become turgid thus causing
the pore to open. When guard cells lose water, they shrink thus causing the
pore to close.
Function: Exchange of gases and transpiration (loss of water in the form of

vapours)
Q: What are the necessary conditions for autotrophic nutrition in green
plants?
Sol: The conditions necessary for photosynthesis in green plants are presence
of chlorophyll, sunlight, water and carbon dioxide.
Q: Design separate experiments to demonstrate :

a. Sunlight is necessary for photosynthesis
b. Chlorophyll is necessary for photosynthesis
c. CO2 is necessary for photosynthesis
Sol:
a)
Aim – To prove that sunlight is necessary for photosynthesis.
Procedure:
i. De-starching- A potted plant is kept in dark for 3 days so that all
the starch gets used up.
ii. Intervention- Select a healthy leaf and cover a part of the leaf
with black paper strips. Keep the plant in sunlight for 6 hours.
iii. De-colourisation- Pluck the leaf and remove the strip. Boil the leaf
in water for few minutes and then transfer it to a beaker
containing ethanol. Place the beaker in a water-bath and heat.
iv. Starch test- Place the leaf in a petri dish and add few drops of
iodine solution.
Observation- The uncovered part of the leaf turns blue-black. This confirms
the presence of starch. The covered portion of the leaf remains yellow showing
that no starch synthesis occurred in this region.
b)
Aim – To prove that chlorophyll is necessary for photosynthesis.
Procedure:
i. De-starching- A potted plant with variegated leaves (Eg money
plant or crotons) is kept in dark for 3 days.
ii. Intervention- Now keep the plant in sunlight for about 6 hours.
iii. De-colourisation- Pluck the leaf and boil it in water for few
minutes and then transfer it to a beaker containing ethanol. Place
the beaker in a water-bath and heat.
iv. Starch test- Place the leaf in a petri dish and add few drops of
iodine solution.
Observation- The part of the leaf which was originally yellow will not turn
blue-black. This shows that no starch is present in this part of the leaf. Hence
photosynthesis does not take place without chlorophyll.
c)
Aim – To prove that CO2 is necessary for photosynthesis.
Procedure:
i. De-starching- Take two healthy potted plants. Keep them in dark
for 3 days.
ii. Intervention- Now place each plant on separate glass plates. Place
a watch-glass containing potassium hydroxide by the side of one
of the plants. Cover both plants with separate bell-jars. Use
Vaseline to seal the bottom of the jars to make the set-up air
tight. Keep the plants in sunlight for 2 hours.
iii. De-colourisation- Pluck a leaf from each plant and boil them in
water for few minutes and then transfer them to a beaker
containing ethanol. Place the beaker in a water-bath and heat.
iv. Starch test- Place the leaves in separate petri dishes and add few
drops of iodine solution.
Observation
The leaf from the plant which was kept near KOH gives a negative result for
starch. Thus it shows that photosynthesis did not take place in the absence of
CO2 since all the CO2 was absorbed by the KOH.
HETEROTROPHIC NUTRITION
Types of heterotrophic nutrition
1. Saprophytic nutrition : In this the organism derives its nutrients from

dead and decaying organic matter (like rotten leaves , dead animals
etc.). Saprophytes release certain digestive enzymes which break down
the complex organic molecules present in dead decaying matter and
converts them into simpler substances. These are then absorbed as
food.
Eg: Fungi like Rhizopus(bread mould),Yeast,
Agaricus(mushroom)
2. Parasitic nutrition: In this an organism derives its nutrients from the
body of another living organism. The host is harmed while the parasite
draws the benefit.
Eg: Cuscuta (Amar-bel), ticks, lice, leeches, tape-worms.
3. Holozoic nutrition : In this the organism takes in the complex organic

food completely and then its internal digestive system breaks it down
into useful absorbable particles.
Eg: Amoeba, Paramecium, humans
HOLOZOIC NUTRITION IN AMOEBA
It involves five steps:

i. Ingestion- it refers to taking in of food particles using limbs,
mouth etc.
Eg – Amoeba takes in food using temporary finger-like
extensions of the cell surface called pseudopodia.
ii. Digestion- breaking down of complex food molecules into
simpler forms by the action of digestive enzymes.
Eg. – In amoeba, inside the food vacuole, the food is broken
down.
iii. Absorption- The digested food is absorbed for carrying out
various life activities.
Eg- In amoeba, digested food diffuses into the cytoplasm.
iv. Assimilation- It is the utilization of digested food. Energy is
obtained by the oxidation of food through respiration.
v. Egestion- removal of undigested waste from the body.
Eg- Amoeba egests food through the body surface.
DIGESTION IN HUMAN BEINGS
The human digestive system consists of the alimentary canal which is a long and
muscular tube from mouth to anus.
It has following parts:
1) MOUTH / BUCCAL CAVITY- Contains teeth , tongue and salivary

glands
Function of mouth :
• Teeth helps in crushing the food into smaller particles which is
swallowed as bolus.
• Tongue helps in detecting tastes and in movement of food while chewing.
• Salivary glands produce saliva that contains water, mucus, lysozyme and
the enzyme salivary amylase.
• Lysozyme is an antibacterial agent that prevents infections
• Salivary amylase helps in breaking down starch into a simple sugar
maltose .
Salivary amylase
Starch ---------------------------→ Maltose
2) OESOPHAGUS –
• The connection between mouth cavity and oesophagus is called pharynx.
• Oesophagus is long, muscular, flexible tube that carries chewed bolus of
food to stomach by peristaltic movements.
• Peristalsis is the rhythmic contraction of muscles of the gut canal which
helps to push the food forward. There is no enzymatic activity in these
region.
3) STOMACH –
• A large organ whose lining contains gastric glands which secrete gastric
juice.
• The exit of food from the stomach into the intestine is regulated by
sphincter muscles.
Functions of stomach :
• The muscular walls of stomach helps in churning the food into fine pulp
(chyme) and mixing of more digestive juice
• The Gastric juice contains hydrochloric acid, mucus and the enzyme
pepsin.
• Hydrochloric acid creates acidic medium (pH 1.8) that activates enzyme
pepsin, kills microbes in food.
• Pepsin digests proteins by converting them into peptones and proteoses.
PEPSIN/ HCL
Protein ----------------------------------------→ partially digested proteins
• Mucus : helps in lubrication, protects the inner lining of stomach from the
action of HCl and pepsin.
4) SMALL INTESTINE –
• It is a highly coiled and the longest part of alimentary canal.
Function of Small intestine

• It is the site of complete digestion and assimilation of food components. It
obtains bile juice from liver and Pancreatic juice from pancreas. It also
secretes small intestinal juice.
• Bile juice – It is secreted by liver and stored in gall bladder. Bile helps in
emulsification of fats i.e. breaking down of the large fat globules into very
smaller ones which can then be easily digested by the action of pancreatic
lipase. Bile also makes the medium alkaline for the lipase to act.
BILE
Large fat globules------------------→ Small fat globule
EMULSIFICATION
• Pancreatic juice- Secreted by pancreas. It contains the enzyme trypsin

which acts on proteins and lipase which breaks down emulsified fats.
TRYPSIN
Proteins -------------------------------→ Partially digested proteins
LIPASE
Fats----------------------------------→ Partially digested fats
• Intestinal juice- walls of the small intestine contain glands which secrete
intestinal juice. It finally breaks down the macromolecules into simplest
molecules. Proteins into amino acids. Carbohydrates into glucose , fats into
fatty acids and glycerol.
Proteins ----------------------------→ Amino acids
Carbohydrates -------------------------→ Glucose
Fats ---------------→ Fatty acids + Glycerol
ABSORPTION OF NUTRIENTS- The final products of digestion that is amino acids, fatty
acids, glycerol and glucose are absorbed by the wall of the small intestine. The inner lining has
many finger like projections called villi which increase the surface area for absorption. These
villi are richly supplied with blood vessels which take the absorbed food to each and every cell
of the body.
SMALL INTESTINE is longer in herbivores as compared to carnivores. Digestion of

cellulose takes a longer time. Hence, herbivores eating grass need a longer small intestine to
allow complete digestion of cellulose. Since carnivores cannot digest cellulose and meat is
easier to digest , they have a shorter intestine.
5) LARGE INTESTINE Unabsorbed food is sent to the large intestine.

Function-
• absorption of water
• secretion of mucus which helps in lubricating the waste for its easy passage
• removal of waste via anus.

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LIFE PROCESSES

NUTRITION is defined as the process of intake of nutrients and its utilization by

Differences between autotrophic and heterotrophic nutrition:

Autotrophic Nutrition Heterotrophic Nutrition

AUTOTROPHIC NUTRITION IN PLANTS

PHOTOSYNTHESIS- the process by which autotrophs manufacture their own

Q: Describe the structure and function of stomata in dicot plants.

Function: Exchange of gases and transpiration (loss of water in the form of

Q: Design separate experiments to demonstrate :

1. Saprophytic nutrition : In this the organism derives its nutrients from

3. Holozoic nutrition : In this the organism takes in the complex organic

HOLOZOIC NUTRITION IN AMOEBA

It involves five steps:

It has following parts:

1) MOUTH / BUCCAL CAVITY- Contains teeth , tongue and salivary

Function of Small intestine

• Pancreatic juice- Secreted by pancreas. It contains the enzyme trypsin

Proteins ----------------------------→ Amino acids

Carbohydrates -------------------------→ Glucose

Fats ---------------→ Fatty acids + Glycerol

SMALL INTESTINE is longer in herbivores as compared to carnivores. Digestion of

5) LARGE INTESTINE Unabsorbed food is sent to the large intestine.

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