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CHAPTER Life Processes
Difference Between Living and Non-living
LivingNon-LivingMovementLack of MovementGrowthLack of GrowthReproductionNo ReproductionRespirationNo RespirationExcretionNo ExcretionRepairNo repair 
LIFE PROCESSES
Various functions are going inside our body and inside the body of all living organisms. Thesefunctions are necessary to maintain the living being. The maintenance functions of livingorganisms must go on even when they are not doing anything particular. Even when we are justsitting in front of computer, even if we are just asleep, this maintenance job has to go on. Theprocesses which together perform this maintenance job are life processes.Following functions comprise the life processes:1.Nutrition2.Respiration3.Excretion4.Growth & Repair5.Reproduction
Nutrition
: Nutrition is the process of getting energy from outside sources. Next process of nutrition is to break down these sources to release energy. Process of getting nutrition can varyfrom organism to organism and is affected by the external environment.Based on Mode of getting food organisms can be classified as follows:1.Autotrophs2.Heterotrophs
Autotrophs
Autotrophs make their own food. All green plants are autotrophs. You must be aware that greenleaves contain a pigment called chlorophyll, which makes them green. Apart from colouringpurpose, chlorophyll plays a more important role of converting the Sun's photo energy to chemicalenergy. The process of food preparation in plant is called
Photosynthesis
. It involves making of Glucose with the help of Carbon Dioxide and Water in the presence of sunlight. Photosynthesis canbe expressed by following chemical reaction:
6CO
2
+ 6H
2
O ---------- C
6
H
12
O
6
+ 6O
2Carbon Dioxide Water Glucose Oxygen
Glucose thus formed is used by the plant to satisfy its energy needs. The excess amount is storedas starch in various parts of the plant.
Experiment to show presence of starch in a plant leaf:
 
Take a potted plant with variegated leaves – for example, money plantor crotons.
Keep the plant in a dark room for three days so that all the starchgets used up.
Now keep the plant in sunlight for about six hours.
Pluck a leaf from the plant. Mark the green areas in it and trace themon a sheet of paper.
Dip the leaf in boiling water for a few minutes.
After this, immerse it in a beaker containing alcohol.
Carefully place the above beaker in a water-bath and heat till thealcohol begins to boil.
What happens to the colour of the leaf? What is the colour of thesolution?
Now dip the leaf in a dilute solution of iodine for a few minutes.
Take out the leaf and rinse off the iodine solution.
Observe the colour of the leaf and compare this with the tracing of the leaf done in the beginning
What can you conclude about the presence of starch in various areasof the leaf? Iodine after reacting with starch turns its colour to blue.
Carbon Dioxide Uptake in Plants
Leaves have small pores called stomata. These pores open to allow entry of CO
2
inside leaves.Water flows into guard cells to swell them, which helps in opening of stomatal opening. Thefollowing figure shows the stomata with guard cells:
Heterotrophs
: Those organisms which are dependent on other organisms for their food arecalled heterotrophs. Some animals, like humans have complex digestive system to break the foodinto basic constituents to make them fit for oxidation. Certain organisms break the food into basicmolecules outside their body then absorb them. Fungi use some enzymes to break the foodoutside their body. Some organisms take food from other organisms without killing them. Most of the parasites take nutrition in this way.
 
Human Digestive System:
Human Digestive System is a complex and elaborate system. The digestive system carries outfollowing functions:1)Intake of Food, 2)Digestion of Food, 3)Assimilation of Food, and 4)expulsion of waste products.
Movement of Food in the Alimentary Canal
: Alimentary Canal constricts and expands inrhythmicfashion. This pushes food particles forward through the alimentary canal. At every junction thereis valve like structure which prevents the back-flow of food. Sometimes these valves or sphinctersmalfunction, which results in regurgitation of food, resulting in burning sensation in mouth andthroat.
Important Enzymes and their function:
EnzymeFood ComponentFinal ProductAmylase (Ptylin)StarchSugar PepsinProteinPeptidesLipaseLipid (fat)Fatty acids and glycogenTrypsinPeptides Amino AcidsSucraseSucroseGlucose & Fructose
Respiration:
Breaking down of nutrients to release energy is called respiration. The way cookinggas is burnt to produce energy for kitchen the living organism burns food to release energy. Acomplex series of oxidation-reduction goes inside the cell to burn food to produce energy. Thisenergy is used to carry out different activity inside a living organism.The Chemical Reaction During Respiration can be written as follows:C
6
H
12
O
6
+ 6O
2
6CO
2
+ 6H
2
O + 674 Kcal
OesophagusLiverGall BladderStomachPancreasSmall IntestineLarge IntestineDigestive System
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