Chapter: Our Life Processes

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|10th Grade|Biology|Revision Sheet|
Chapter: Our Life Processes

 Life processes
 Constantly exhibit the functions of maintenance and repair in living organisms
 Some Examples- Digestion, Respiration, Circulation etc.
 Nutrition
 Process of obtaining nutrients from the environment i.e. intake of food and then
its digestion in the body.
 Two types – Autotrophic (self-sufficient for food) and Heterotrophic (dependent
on others for food).
 Autotrophic nutrition
 Synthesis of food by photosynthesis- ‘photo’ means light and ‘synthesis’ means
production. It is the production of food with the help of sunlight.
 Photosynthesis equation-
6CO2+6H2O give C6H12O6+6O2
 Events of photosynthesis are as follows:
 Absorption of light energy chlorophyll which is the green pigment and
gives energy for activation of reaction.
 Then the splitting of water into its constituent’s hydrogen and oxygen
leading to the synthesis of ATP and NADPH2 and finally reduction of
CO2 to carbohydrates.
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 Heterotrophic nutrition
 Generally take up energy from plants and animals by using them as food.
 Mostly of three types—holozoic, parasitic, and saprophytic.
 Digestion- mechanical and chemical reduction of ingested nutrients which can be
then converted to energy for use.
 Human digestive system- consists of the long alimentary canal that includes
mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum
and anus.
 Organs for assistance- pancreas, liver
 Nutrition in humans:
 Saliva is secreted by salivary glands located under the tongue which contains digestive
enzymes like salivary amylase, which break down starch into sugar.
 So, digestion of carbohydrates starts in the mouth itself.
 Tongue helps in chewing, moistening, rolling and swallowing of food.
 The food from mouth then goes down the oesophagus, which is the food pipe to the
stomach, through the movement of walls of oesophagus (peristalsis)
 Stomach mixes the food hence received with various digestive juices.
 Inner lining of stomach secretes:
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 Mucus – protects the lining of stomach from being corroded by the

acid.
 Hydrochloric acid – creates an acidic medium and dissolves bits of food.
 Digestive juices – break down protein into simpler substances.
 The food from stomach eventually moves into the small intestine.
 Digestion in small intestine:
 It is the longest part (about 7.5 m long) of alimentary canal.
 It is the site where complete digestion of carbohydrates, proteins, and
fats takes place.
 It gets intestinal juices from two different glands – liver and pancreas
that help in the further digestion of food.
 Liver is the largest gland of the body and secretes bile juice.
 Bile juice is stored in the gall bladder and has a significant role in the
digestion of fats.
 Pancreas has enzymes that help in total digestion of all food
components.
 The digestive tract and associated glands together constitute the digestive system.
 Respiration
 It is controlled by enzymes and energy is released from the breakdown of organic
substances. It is of two types that are aerobic and anaerobic
 Aerobic respiration Byjus .com
 Oxidation of food materials by oxygen

 Produces 36 ATP
 The steps followed in cellular respiration
 First step is breakdown of glucose (6C) into pyruvates (3C) in the cytoplasm
 Second step- Pyruvate is then broken down to CO 2 and water and it takes
place in the mitochondria where energy is produced in ATP form.
 Anaerobic respiration
 It is the Oxidation of nutrients without using up the molecular oxygen
 It gives 2 ATPs.
 First step- glycolysis in cytoplasm, 2 pyruvate produced
 Second step is the break down of pyruvic acid into ethanol and water and
energy (in yeast) and lactic acid and energy (in muscle cells)
 Human respiration
 It consists of the nose, pharynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles and alveoli.
 Bronchioles then divide into many alveoli which are sites of gaseous exchange.
 O2 present in alveolar blood vessels is then transported to various cells of the body.
 Hemoglobin pigment present in blood is majorly responsible for transportation of
carbon dioxide and oxygen.
 Transportation
 First and foremost things, a liquid medium is required always for
transportation.


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 Transportation in humans
 Double circulation occurs in human beings i.e. the blood goes through the heart
twice during each cardiac cycle.
 Blood and lymph are both involved in transportation
 Components of blood are RBCs, WBCs, platelets, and plasma.
 Three types of blood vessels are arteries, veins and capillaries.
 Arteries carry oxygenated blood in them, except one that is pulmonary artery
 Veins carry deoxygenated blood in them, except pulmonary vein
 The Human heart is divided into four chambers – right auricle, right ventricle, left
auricle, and left ventricle.
 The Right side of the heart gets deoxygenated blood from different cells of the body
 The Left side of the heart receives oxygenated blood from lungs.
 Transportation in plants
 Transportation of water is through xylem tissues
 Transport of water occurs due to transpiration pull, root pressure and difference in
pressure gradient.
 Transport of food or translocation takes place through phloem and it requires
energy.
 Excretion
 It involves the removal of harmful metabolic wastes from the body of organisms by
various processes.
 Excretion in humans Byjus .com
 The excretory system consists of- a pair of kidneys, a pair of ureters, a urinary bladder,
and a urethra.
 Nitrogenous wastes such as urea and uric acid are removed
 Nephron- basic filtration unit
 Main components of the nephron - glomerulus, Bowman’s capsule, renal tube
 The process of Removing of nitrogenous wastes through artificial kidney is
called dialysis.
Chapter: Control and Coordination
 Systematic working of the various organs of an organism (plants or animals) producing a

proper response to the stimulus is called co-ordination.
 Coordination in Plants
 Not so elaborate, controlled by phytohormones and external stimulus.
 Phytohormones
 Control and coordination in plants is done by phytohormones.
 They are naturally occurring chemical substances which control one or other
aspect of growth.
 Auxin – Cell enlargement and differentiation.
 Gibberellins – In presence of auxin, promotes cell enlargement and differentiation.
 Cytokinins – Promotes cell division, opening of stomata, etc.

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 Abscisic acid – Closing of stomata, wilting and falling of leaves, etc.
 Tropic Movements
 Directional plant growth movement in response to an external stimulus.
 Growth of a plant may be towards the stimulus (positive tropism) or away from it
(negative tropism).
 Phototropism – movement in response to light.
 Chemotropism – in response to chemicals.
 Hydrotropism – in response to water.
 Geotropism – in response to gravity.
 Nastic Movements
 Non-directional movement of a plant part in response to an external stimulus.
 May or may not be a growth movement.
 All parts of the organ of a plant are affected equally irrespective of the direction of
the stimulus.
 Thigmonasty – Nastic movement in response to touch of an object.
 Photonasty – Nastic movement in response to light.
 Coordination in Animals
 Elaborate, very complex and is controlled by neuroendocrine system.
 Endocrine (chemical) Coordination Byjus .com
 Consists of hormones (chemical messengers) regulating biological processes

and secreted by endocrine glands.
 Homeostasis is maintained by hormones by their integrated action and
feedback control.
 Nervous Coordination
 Neuron forms the fundamental unit.
 Sensory neurons in sense organs receive stimulus and transmit impulses to CNS.
 Motor neurons transmit impulses from CNS to effectors.
 Relay or connector neurons serve as links between sensory and motor neurons.
 Nervous System (Human)

 CNS – Consists of brain and spinal cord.
 Brain – Controls various voluntary (walking, riding, running, etc.) and involuntary
actions (sneezing, coughing, etc.).
 Also controls thinking, reasoning, and intelligence.
 Spinal Cord – Controls reflex action.
 PNS – Consists of cranial nerves (12 pairs) and spinal nerves (31 pairs).
 ANS – Two set of nerves (parasympathetic and sympathetic) supplying visceral
organs which are antagonistic to each other.

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Chapter: How do Organisms Reproduce
 Asexual Reproduction in Plants

 Spore formation → Example: Bacteria, fungi
 Budding → Example: Fungi (yeast)
 Fragmentation → Example: Algae, fungi.
 Vegetative propagation
 Natural method
 By roots → Example:Sweet potato.
 By stems → Example:Ginger, potato.
 By leaves → Example: Bryophyllum.
 Artificial method
 Cutting → Example:Rose.
 Layering → Example:Strawberry, lemon.
 Grafting → Example:Mango, rose.
 Micropropagation → Example:Orchids, dahlia
 Sexual Reproduction in Plants
 Flower is the reproductive organ.
 It has four whorls – Calyx, Corolla, Androecium, Gynoecuim.
 Calyx and corolla are accessory parts.
 Androecium - Male reproductive organ producing pollen grains.
 Gynoecium - Female reproductive organ having ovule (egg).
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 Pollination – Transfer of pollens from anther to stigma for fertilization.

 Fertilization – Fusion of male and female gametes.
 Double fertilization (Triple fusion and syngamy) – unique events in the embryo sac of
ovules.
 Asexual Reproduction in Animals
 Fission
 Binary fission → Example:. Amoeba
 Multiple fission → Example:Plasmodium
 Budding → Example:. Hydra
 Regeneration → Example:Planaria, Hydra
 Sexual Reproduction (Human)
 Human being is heterosexual.
 Reproductive system includes:
 Primary sex organs: Testes (males) and ovaries (females)
 Secondary sex organs: Genital ducts and glands (males) and fallopian tubes,
uterus, vagina (females)
 Male sex hormone is testosterone and female sex hormones are
progesterone and estrogen.
 Puberty is attained at the age of 13 – 14 years in males and 10 – 12 years
in females.

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 The zygote formed after fertilization develops into embryo which gets
implanted in uterus.
 Placenta (a disc-like special tissue) develops between uterine wall and
embryo for nourishment of the embryo.
 Gestation period in humans is 280 days.
 Reproductive Health
 Birth control prevents unwanted pregnancies.
 Barrier methods
 Chemical methods
 Intrauterine contraceptive device
 Surgical method
 Sexually transmitted diseases (STD) are caused by bacteria, protozoa and viruses.
 AIDS is an incurable viral disease.
Chapter: Heredity and Evolution
 Heredity:
 The passing of traits from the parents to offspring is called heredity.
 This is heredity which is responsible for many commonly observable facts; like
siblings looking similar in overall appearance.
 Variation: The differences among the individuals of a species/population are called
variations. Byjus .com
 Genotype: The complete set of genes in an organism’s genome is called genotype.

 Phenotype:
 The observable characters in an organism make the phenotype.
 Phenotype is a result of genotype’s interaction with the environment.
 Due to this reason, many phenotypes are not inheritable.
 Acquired Traits:
 Traits; which are acquired due to interaction with the environment; are called
acquired traits.
 Acquired traits are not inheritable.
 Example; if a boxer develops bulging biceps, it does not mean that his son would be
borne with bulging biceps.
 Inheritable Traits:
 Traits; which can be expressed in subsequent generations; are called inheritable
traits.
 Such traits bring a change in the genotype of the organism and hence become
inheritable.
 Speciation
 Micro evolution: It is the evolution which is on a small scale. Example: change in
body color of beetles.
 The process by which new species develop from the existing species is known as
speciation.

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 Speciation: it is the process of formation of new species.

 Species: A group of similar individuals within a population that can interbreed and
produce fertile offspring.
 Gene flow: It is exchange of genetic material by interbreeding between populations
of same species or individuals
 Speciation takes place when variation is combined with geographical isolation.
 Gene flow : occurs between population that are partly but not completely separated
 Genetic Drift:
 It is the random change in the frequency of alleles (gene pair) in a population
over successive generations.
 The process by which nature selects and consolidate those organisms which
are more suitably adapted and possesses favorable variations
 Genetic drift takes place due to
 Severe changes in the DNA
 Change in number of chromosomes
 Accumulation of Variations During Reproduction:
 Asexual reproduction involves a single parent and is hence not ideal ideal for
facilitating variations.
 Some minor variations do occur due to inaccuracies in DNA replication.
 But the quantum of variations would be too little and would take too many years to
show effect.
 Sexual reproduction, on the other hand, is ideal for facilitating variations because
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two parents are involved in it.

 The offspring’s genotype is contributed by two parents and hence chances of
variations are very high.
 Rules of Inheritance
 Gregor Johann Mendel conducted experiments on pea plants and proposed the
rules of inheritance; based on his observations.
 Mendel observed that characters are often present in pairs.
 A pair of contrasting characters is called allele.
 Possible Reasons of Pea Plants Used by Mendel:
 Pea can be termed as biennial plant, i.e. two generations of a pea plant can
grow in a given year.
 This means that Mendel could get enough time to observe a larger number of
generations.
 Many easily identifiable and contrasting characters are present in pea plants.
 Cross pollination can be easily induced in pea plants.
 Monohybrid Cross: The cross in which just two contrasting characters are studied is
called monohybrid cross.
 Mendel's First Law
 Law of Segregation:
 Every individual possesses a pair of alleles for a particular trait.
 During gamete formation, a gamete receives only one trait from the alleles.
 A particular trait can be dominant or recessive in a particular generation.

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 Dihybrid Cross:
 The cross in which two pairs of characters are studied is called dihybrid cross..
 Mendel’s Second Law:
 Law of Independent Assortment:
 Alleles of different characters separate independent from each other during
gamete formation.
 Sex Determination in Humans:
 Somatic cells in human beings contain 23 pairs of chromosomes.
 Out of them the 23rd pair is composed of different types of chromosomes which are
named as X and Y chromosomes.
 The 23rd pair contains one X and one Y chromosome in a male.
 On the other hand, the 23rd pair in a female contains X chromosomes.
 This means that all the eggs would have X chromosome as the 23rd chromosome,
while a sperm may have either X or Y chromosome as the 23rd chromosome.
 When a sperm with X chromosome fertilizes the egg, the resulting zygote would
develop into a female child.
 When a sperm with Y chromosome fertilizes the egg, the resulting zygote would
develop into a male child.
Chapter: Management of Natural Resources Byjus .com
 Anything in the environment ‘which can be used’ is called ‘natural resource’.

 Natural resources include total natural environment that support human life
and contribute to the production of necessities and comforts to mankind.
 So natural resources are the components of atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere.
 On the basis of abundance and availability, the natural resources are of two types:
 Inexhaustible
 These are in plenty and cannot be exhausted by man’s consumption e.g., air,
sand, clay etc., affected by over-population of mankind.
 Exhaustible
These are limited and can get exhausted over a period of time. i.e., coal,
petroleum etc.
 Management of Natural Resources
 A system of controlling the use of natural resources in such a way as to avoid their
wastage and to use them in the most effective way is called management of natural
resources.
 We need to manage our natural resources because of the following reasons:
 The resources of the earth are limited. Because of the rapid increase in human
population, the demand for resources is increasing day by day.

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 The proper management can ensure that the natural resources are used judiciously
so that they fulfill the needs of present generation and also last for the generations
to come.
 The proper management of natural resources takes into consideration long-term
perspective (or view) and prevents their exploitation to hilt for short-term gains.
 The proper management can ensure equitable distribution of natural resources so
that all the people can benefit from the development of these resources.
 The proper management will take into consideration the damage caused to the
environment during the ‘extraction’ or ‘use’ of the natural resources and find ways
and means to minimize this damage.
 Conservation of Wildlife
 It is very important to conserve wild-life to maintain the ecological balance in nature
and to preserve the gene pool.
 Some of the measures (or steps) to be taken for the conservation of wildlife are
given below:
 Laws should be made to impose a total ban on the poaching (killing) or
capturing of any animal or bird belonging to an endangered species.
 The poaching of an endangered species of animals and birds should be
made a punishable offence.
 Such laws should not remain on paper only, they should be enforced
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strictly.
 The natural habitats of wild animals and birds should be preserved by
establishing National Parks and sanctuaries throughout the country.
 The government Department connected with the conservation of wildlife
should conduct a periodic survey in all the forests, National parks and
Sanctuaries to have knowledge of the population of all species of wild
animals and birds, so that these animals can be helped in the times of
distress like floods and famines.
 Special attention should be paid to the conservation of endangered
species of wild animals and birds to prevent their extinction altogether.
 The unauthorized felling (cutting) of forest trees for timber trade and
fuel-wood should be curbed (stopped) immediately.
 This is because depletion of forests destroys the natural habitat of
wild animals and birds, and exposed them to the cruelty of man as well as
nature.
 In the case of Government authorized felling of forest trees, for every
acre of forest cut down, an equal area of land should be planted with
saplings of trees to make up for the loss in the long run.

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 Advantages of Dams:
 Water from a dam is used for irrigation in fields through a network of canals.
 Dams ensure round the year water supply to the crop fields and help raise
agricultural production.
 Water from a dam is supplied to the people in towns and cities through pipelines
after suitable treatment.
 In this way, construction of dams ensures continuous water supply in the region.
 The falling water (or flowing water) from the dam is used for generating electricity.
The water rushing down the dam turns turbines which run electric generators.
 Disadvantages of Dams:
 Social problems
 Due to the construction of high-rise dams, a large number of human
settlements (or villages) are submerged in the water of large reservoir
formed by the dam and many people are rendered homeless.
 Environmental Problems
 The construction of high –rise dams on the rivers contributes
to deforestation and loss of biodiversity.
 This is because a vast variety of flora and fauna (plants and animals) get
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submerged in the water of large reservoir formed by the dam and disturb
the ecological balance.
 Economic Problems
 Some people say that the construction of high-rise dams involves the
spending of huge amount of public money without the generation of
proportionate benefits.
 Forests:
 Forests are important renewable natural resources dominated mainly by trees
forming a sort of canopy they are essential for ecological balance of all
ecosystems.
 They maintain biological diversity, prevent floods and safeguard future of tribal.
 The forests cover a wide range of life forms including bacteria, fungi, ferns,
gymnosperms, flowering plants, nematodes, insects, birds, reptiles and mammals.
 They need conservation in order to preserve the biodiversity we have inherited.
 Various studies have shown that a loss of diversity may lead to a loss of ecological
stability.

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 Conservation of Forests
 Conservation is protection, augmentation and scientific management of resources
so as to maintain them at their optimum level providing benefit to the present as
well as future generations.
 Forests and regulative properties
 Afforestation
 It is growing of forests on unprotected barren lands.
 Van Mahotsava is a tree plantation movement carried out twice a
year (February and July) by both government and voluntary
agencies.
 Reforestation
 It is developing forest cover in the area which has been damaged
or cleared during exploitation.
 Useful plants required by industry should be planted separately preferably on
waste land.
 Growing industry required plants is called production plantation.
 Grazing:
 Grazing should be regulated according to the availability of pasturage.

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Sustained Yield Block Cutting

 A forest is divided into a number of blocks depending upon the period required by
forest trees to mature.
 In one year trees of one block are felled.
 The block is reforested immediately.
 In this way annual deforestation is compensated by annual reforestation.
 The forest is conserved indefinitely and provides sustained yield.
 Effects of Deforestation:
 Removal, decrease or deterioration of the forest cover of an area is called
deforestation.
 Soil Erosion
 Removal of plant cover exposes the fertile soil to wind and water.
 Desertification
 Removal of forest cover in the plains makes the area dry.
 In hot season, the soil becomes loose.
 Air currents take away the fine soil particles leaving behind sand.

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 Floods
 In rainy season many temporary rivulets are formed due to loss of
absorption capacity by unprotected soil. The rivulets produce floods in
low land causing loss to agriculture, property and life.
 Destruction of wildlife Deforestation leads to destruction of natural habitats of
wild animals and plants. Wildlife is, therefore, destroyed.
 Climatic changes
 In the absence of forest cover, the summer becomes hotter while the
winters become extra cool.
 The frequency of rainfall decreases.
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|10th Grade|Biology|Revision Sheet|