Delhi Public School,Harni

SUBJECT– BIOLOGY(SCIENCE)
CLASS – X
CHAPTER-6
LIFE PROCESSES

NUTRITION
RESPIRATION

-BY SUSMITA DASGUPTA

 OVERVIEW
 Introduction
 Brief Description of Life Processes:
 Nutrition
 Modes of Nutrition
 Nutrition in Plants
 Nutrition in Animals
 Respiration
 Different Pathways of Respiration
 Human Respiratory System
Life Processes - 
 processes undergoing in living organisms to sustain life. For example:
Nutrition, Respiration , Transportation, Excretion etc.
 • Life processes are the basic processes in living organisms
Brief Description of Life Processes:

which are necessary for maintaining their life. The basic life
processes are – nutrition, respiration, transportation, and
excretion.
Nutrition : Taking food by an organism and its utilization by
the body for life processes.
Respiration : Food is burnt in the cells of the body with the
help of oxygen to release energy.
Transportation : Food, oxygen, water, waste products are
carried from one part of the body to the other part.
Excretion :- Waste products are removed from the body.
Nutrition -
 The Process of taking food inside the body and converting it into
smaller molecules which can be absorbed by the body is called
Nutrition.
 Need of nutrition:  To provide energy for doing any activity and provide
essential nutrients for life processes.
 Nutrients: Materials which provide nutrition to organisms are called
nutrients. These are the substances which an organism obtains from its
surroundings and uses it as a source of energy or for the biosynthesis of its
body constituents.
 For example
 Carbohydrates and fats are the nutrients which are used by the organism
mainly as a source of energy. These nutrients are found in wheat, rice, corn,
chocolates etc. So when you eat them you feel energetic.
 Proteins, vitamins and mineral are nutrients used for making body parts like
skin, blood, bones etc.
Mode of Nutrition
There are mainly two modes of nutrition:
1. Autotrophic mode 2. Heterotrophic mode

Autotrophic Mode:
 As the name suggests`auto' means 'self’ and `trophe' means
'nutrition'.
In this mode of nutrition ,an organism does not depend on other
living beings for food.
Organism makes (or synthesizes) its own food by the process
called photosynthesis.
Heterotrophic Mode
 Organism cannot not synthesizes its own
food and depends on other organisms for
its food.

 For example: all the animals (man, dog,

cat, lion, etc.), most bacteria and fungi.
Types of Heterotrophic Nutrition:

(i). Saprotrophic (saprophytic) nutrition

(ii). Parasitic nutrition

(iii). Holozoic nutrition

Saprotrophic nutrition:
 Organism obtains its food from decaying organic matter of
dead plants, dead animals and rotten bread etc.
The organisms having saprotrophic mode of nutrition are
called saprophytes.
For example: Fungi (liker bread moulds, mushrooms) and
many bacteria.
Parasitic nutrition
 Organism derives its food from the body of other living
organisms without killing it.

 A parasite is an organism which feed on another living

organism called its host.
For example, some animals like Plasmodium and
roundworms, a few plants like Cuscuta (amarbel) and
several fungi and bacteria.
Holozoic nutrition
* Organism takes the complex organic food materials into
its body by the process of ingestion
* the ingested food is digested and then absorbed into the
body cells of the organism.
Eg : Amoeba, human beings and most of the animal.
Nutrition in Plants –autotrophic mode of nutrition
Green plants prepare their own food.
They prepare food by the process of photosynthesis.
 It is the process by which plants synthesize complex
carbohydrates (organic food) and evolve molecular oxygen
from simple inorganic substances like carbon dioxide and
water in the presence of sunlight and chlorophyll.

The general balanced equation for Photosynthesis :

sunlight
      6CO2        +    12H2O  —–>    C6H12O6   +      6O2   +     6H2O
  (Carbon chlorophyl
dioxide)    (Water)          (Glucose)        (Oxygen)       (Water)
 • Thesite of photosynthesis in a cell of the leaf is chloroplasts which
Cross section of leaf: Site of photosynthesis:

contain Chlorophyll.
• Chloroplasts are present in :
- the photosynthetic cells (mesophyll cells) of leaf.
- Guard cells of stomata in leaf.

 Fig : Cross Section of leaf

How do plants obtain carbon dioxide for
the process of photosynthesis?
• The carbon dioxide gas enters into the leaves of the plant
through the stomata present on the surface of leaves.
Sturcture of Stomata:
* Stomata are tiny pores present on the surface of the leaves
of plants.
• It consists of :
i. A pair of guard cells
ii.Stomatal pore
iii. Few surrounding
epidermal cells
Function of Stomata
• Transpiration
• Exchange of gases - CO2, O2

How does the opening and closingof stomata takes place?

1. In guard cell : outer cell wall is thin and inner cell wall is thick
2. When water enters inside the guard cells, water exerts pressure towards the wall

of the guard cells.

3. The outer wall being thinner experiences more pressure than the inner wall, the

guard cells swell up and the stomata opens.

4. When the water goes out of the guard cells, the cells shrink and the stomata
closes.
Events occur during the process of photosynthesis:

Absorption of light energy by chlorophyll

Conversion of light energy into chemical energy and

splitting of water molecules into hydrogen and
oxygen.

Reduction of carbon dioxide to carbohydrates

Photosynthesis in case of desert plants:
In desert plants, the stomata is open during night.

During night, plant absorbs carbon dioxide and forms

an intermediate compound.

Then during day time when the stomata is closed to

prevent loss of water,this intermediate compound is
acted upon by the energy absorbed by the chlorophyll
to perform photosynthesis.
Experiment to show necessity of chlorophyll for photosynthesis -
Procedure :
Take a potted plant with variegated leaves. (leaves
having some parts with chlorophyll and some parts
with no chlorophyll) and destarch the plant.
Keep it in sunlight for few hours.
Do iodine test (follow steps shown in the figure).
Observation:
On adding iodine solution, the part of leaf
having chlorophyll turns to blue-black.
While other part of leaf does not turn to
blue black showing that no starch is present
in this part of leaf.

Conclusion: Chlorophyll is
also necessary for
photosynthesis.
Experiment to show necessity of carbon
dioxide for photosynthesis -
Procedure
Destarch two potted plants.
Put these potted plants in two bell jars. One with potassium
hydroxide solution and other with no potassium hydroxide
solution.
Keep them in sunlight.
Potassium hydroxide solution in 1st jar removes all CO2 from it.
Experiment to show necessity of carbon dioxide for photosynthesis -

After 3 – 4 hours, do iodine test on leafs of both jars.

Observation:
You will see that leaf of plant with potassium hydroxide solution does
not turn to blue black showing that no starch is present in this leaf.
On the other hand, the leaf of plant with no potassium hydroxide
solution turns to blue black showing that starch is present in that leaf.

Conclusion: Since potassium hydroxide solution in 1 st jar removed

all CO2, it means that potted plant in 1 st jar does not have CO2 for
photosynthesis. That’s why the plant with potassium hydroxide
solution does not turn to blue black and hence there is no starch. So it
can be said that CO2 is also a necessary material for photosynthesis
 Nutrition in Amoeba:
• Amoeba eats tiny plants and animals as food which
floats in water in which it lives.

• The mode of nutrition in Amoeba is holozoic.

• The process of obtaining food by Amoeba is called

phagocytosis
Steps

involved in the nutrition of Amoeba:
• Amoeba captures food near its body through temporary
finger-like projections called pseudopodia to form food
vacuole.
 Inside the food vacuole digestive enzymes convert
the food to smaller substances which can be absorbed
by body.
 The digested food diffuses out into the cytoplasm to
reach to the entire body.
 Body uses the digested food for growth and other functions.
 Then the vacuole contining undigested food particles fused
with the plasma membrane and throw out the waste
material.
Nutrition in amoeba
Nutrition in Human Beings
(Digestive System in Human Body):

Digestive system consist of two main parts:

Alimentary canal
Alimentary canal/ Gut is the entire path of food from mouth to
anus.

Digestive glands :
Produce digestive juices .
Basic parts of Alimantary canal are:

1. Mouth (Buccal cavity),

2. Oesophagus (Food pipe),
3. Stomach (J shaped),
4. Small intestine,
5. Large intestine,
6. Rectum,
7. Anus
Digestive Glands
Salivary glands
Liver
Pancreatic glands
Gastric glands
Intestinal glands
Human digestive system
Glands of human digestive system are:
 Salivary glands in our mouth produce saliva (watery liquid) which contains enzyme
called salivary amylase which digests the starch (carbohydrate) present in the food
into sugar .

 Gastric glands Present in the wall of stomach produces protein digesting enzyme
called pepsin, mucus and hydrocloric acid

 Pancreas lies behind the lower portion of stomach. It secretes pancreatic juice

which contains many digestive enzymes (pancreatic amylase, trypsin, and lipase).

 Liver secretes greenish yellow liquid called bile. Bile is temporarily stored in gall
bladder before it is send to small intestine through bile duct.

 Intestinal glands present in the wall of intestine produce enzymes which will help
in the final conversion of food into smallest absorbable substances.
Process of digestion
1. Mouth:
The digestion of food begins in the mouth itself.
The teeth cut the food into small pieces, chew and
grind it. (Physical digestion)
The salivary glands in our mouth produce saliva
(watery liquid) which contains an enzyme salivary
amylase which digests the starch (carbohydrate)
present in the food into sugar. (Chemical digestion)
Our tongue helps in mixing this saliva with food.
The digestion of food remains incomplete in mouth
2. Oesophagus:

The slightly digested food in the mouth is swallowed

by the tongue and goes down the food pipe called
oesophagus.

The contraction and relaxation of oesophagus

muscle push the food down the track to the stomach.
This movement is involuntary and is necessary for
the movement of food down the stomach.
The movement is called the peristaltic movement.
3. Stomach:
The stomach is a J-shaped organ present on the left side of the
abdomen.
The stomach walls contains three tubular glands which secrete
gastric juice.
The gastric juice contains three substances: Hydrochloric acid,
the enzyme pepsin and mucus.
The hydrochloric creates an acidic medium which facilitates the
action of the enzyme pepsin i.e. digestion of protein.
It also kill the germs enter long with the food.
The mucus helps to protect the stomach wall from hydrochloric
acid.
The partially digested food then goes from the stomach into the
small intestine.
4. Small Intestine:

From the stomach, the partially digested food enters the small
intestine.
The small intestine is the largest part (about 6.5m) of the
alimentary canal.
The small intestine is very narrow and arranged in the form of
a coil in our belly.
The small intestine in human beings is the site of complete
digestion of food (like carbohydrates, proteins and fats)
The small intestine receives the secretion of two glands: Liver
and Pancreas.
Liver secretes bile (greenish yellow liquid made in the liver and
stored in gall bladder).
Bile performs two functions:
1. Makes the acidic food coming from the stomach alkaline so that
pancreatic enzymes can act on it.
2.Bile salts break the fats present in the food into small globules
making it easy for the enzymes to act and digest them.
The pancreas secretes pancreatic juice which contains enzymes
like pancreatic amylase for breaking down starch, trypsin for
digesting proteins and lipase for breaking down emulsified fats.
The walls of the small intestine contain glands which secretes
intestinal juice.
The enzymes present in it finally convert the proteins into amino
acids, complex carbohydrates into glucose and fats into fatty acids
and glycerol. In this way the process of digestion converts the large
and insoluble food molecules into small water soluble molecules.
Absorption:
The small intestine is the main region for the absorption
of digested food.

The inner surface of the small intestine has numerous

finger-like projections called villi which increase the
surface area for rapid absorption of digested food.

The digested food which is absorbed through the walls of

the small intestine goes into our blood.
Assimilation:
The blood carries digested and dissolved food to all the
parts of the body where it becomes assimilated as part of
the cells and is utilized for obtaining energy, building up
new tissues and the repair of old tissues.

Egestion:
The unabsorbed food is sent into the large intestine where
water is absorbed from this material.
The rest of the material is removed from the body via the
anus.
The exit of this waste material is regulated by the anal
sphincter.
 Dental caries
How tooth decays?
Sugar is present in food we eat.
When we eat the food, bacteria in our mouth reacts with sugar
and makes acid.
This acid can destroy enamel and dentine slowly.
Saliva neutralizes the acid and thus our teeth are saved.
Improper brushing leads to deposit of food along with bacteria in
mouth on teeth. This is called dental plague.
Due to dental plague, saliva fails to protect corroding of tooth by
acid and thus tooth decays.
Effect:
When acid comes in contact with nerves in pulp cavity, it creates
toothache and inflammation.
Respiration
The process of releasing energy from food is
called respiration.
The process of respiration involves taking in oxygen
(of air) into the cells, using it for releasing energy by
burning food, and then eliminating the waste products
(carbon dioxide and water) from the body. ... So, it is
also known as cellular respiration.
The main respiratory substance is glucose.
Breakdown of glucose by various pathways:
Glucose is broken down into a three carbon
molecule called pyruvate in the cell cytoplasm.
Pyruvate is further broken down by different ways to
provide energy in various organisms.

 In mitochondria, breakdown of pyruvate takes place

in presence of oxygen to give rise three molecules of
carbon dioxide and water. It is called aerobic
respiration. The release of energy in the aerobic
process is lot greater than in the anaerobic process.
In yeast pyruvate is converted into ethanol and CO2
in absence of oxygen. Since this process takes place in
absence of oxygen it is called anaerobic respiration.

Sometimes when there is a lack of oxygen in our

muscle cells pyruvate is converted into lactic acid
which is also a three-carbon molecule.

This build-up lactic acid in our muscles during sudden

activity causes cramps.
Breakdown of glucose by various pathways:
Respiration in animals

Terrestrial animals can breathe the oxygen in the

atmosphere.

Animals that live in water need to use the oxygen

dissolved in water.

Rate of breathing in aquatic organism is much faster

than seen in terrestrial animals because amount of
dissolved oxygen is low in water than in the air.
Respiratory System in humans
Parts involved in the human respiratory
system
1)Nose: There is a pair of external nostrils at the lower end of
nose.The air enters through the nostrils.The air passing
through nostrils is filtered by fine hairs that lines the passage
.The passage is lined with mucus which help in this process.

2)Throat or Pharynx:The nasal passage open behind into

pharynx.It is a common passage for food and air.It leads into
an air tube called trachea through a slit called glottis.The
glottis always remain open except during swallowing.The
glottis bear a flap called epiglottis.During swallowing
epiglottis closes the glottis to avoid entry of food into air
pipe.
3)Trachea: It is a thin walled tube that extends
downwards through the neck and divides into 2 major
bronchi. One major bronchi enters right lung and other left
lung. The trachea consists of tough cartilaginous rings.

The function of the cartilaginous rings of the trachea in

respiratory system is to stabilize the trachea and keep it
rigid while allowing the trachea to expand and lengthen
when the person breathes. The cartilage rings are C-
shaped because the back of the trachea presses against the
oesophagus. The cartilage opens at the oesophagus and is
replaced by connective tissue and muscle. This gives the
oesophagus space to allow food to be swallowed.
4)lungs: In humans,the respiratory organs are lungs
which provide the surface for the exchange of
gases. The lungs lie in the thoracic cavity on the sides
of the heart.

The thoracic cavity is separated from abdominal cavity

by muscular portion called diaphragm.

Each lung is enclosed in two membrane, the pleura.

5)Bronchi and bronchioles:

Within the lungs the major bronchi further divide into

secondary bronchi which sub-divide into small tertiary
bronchi and finally into bronchioles.

Each bronchioles divide into alveolar duct which

enters the alveolar sac or alveoli. The alveoli are made
up of non-ciliated squamous epithelium cells. It is
surrounded by network of blood capillaries.
Alveoli surrounded by blood capillaries
 Mechanism of breathing
 During Inhalaion: (Steps)
 When both the rib muscles and diaphragm contract .
 The ribs are lifted outward and the diaphragm gets flattened and move
downward.
 Volume of thoracic cavity increses and consequently the volume of lungs
increases.
 The pressure inside the lungs decreases as compared to the ouside.
 The air is suck inside.
During exhalation (Steps)
 Both the rib muscles and diaphragm relax.
 the ribs move inward and the diaphragm comes back to its normal position that
is, it moves upward.
 Volume of thoracic cavity decreases and consequently the volume of lungs
decreases.
 The pressure inside the lungs increses as compared to the ouside.
 The air is expelled out.
Residual volume of air
Residual volume of air is the amount of air remain
in the lungs even after forceful exhalation.

When air is taken in and let out,lungs always

contain a residual volume of air so that there is
sufficient time for oxygen to be absorbed and
carbon dioxide to be released.
Transport of respiratory gases.
In humans respiratory pigment is haemoglobin which
is present in RBCs. This pigment has high affinity for
oxygen.
These respiratory pigments take up oxygen from the
air in the lungs and carry it to tissues which are
deficient in oxygen.
CO2 is more soluble in water than oxygen and hence is
mostly transported in the dissolved form in our blood.
HOME ASSIGNMENT:
Q1.Why is the rate of breathing in aquatic organisms much
faster than in terrestrial organisms?
Q2.What are the functions of gastric glands present in the
wall of the stomach?
Q3.What will happen if mucus is not secreted by the
gastric glands?
Q4.Match the terms in column (A) with those of
column(B)
COLUMN A COLUMN B

A) Trypsin (i) Pancreas

B) Amylase (ii) Liver
C) Bile (iii)Gastric glands
D) Pepsin (iv)Saliva
Q5.MCQ:
1. Each stomatal pore is guarded by
(a) subsidiary cells (ii) epidermal cells
(c) guard cells (iv) trichomes
Q6.Mention the major events during photosynthesis.
Q7.Explain the role of mouth in digestion of food.
Q8.Explain the three pathways of breakdown of
glucose in living organisms.