CH – 6.

LIFE PROCESSES

Life processes – The basic functions

performed by living beings to sustain
themselves are called life processes.
Living things can be differentiated from
non living things on certain characteristics
which they have , these characteristics are
as follows :
1.Cellular structure
2.Growth
3.Movement
4.Reproduction
5.Metabolism
6.Stimulus
1.Cellular structure – Life without cells is
not possible ,be it single celled unicellular
organisms (e.g., amoeba) or multicellular
organisms (e.g., human beings )
 CH – 6. LIFE PROCESSES

5. Metabolism – All living organisms

possesbiomolecules that are acted upon
by enzymes leading to chemical reactions
comprising the metabolic processes.
6.Stimulus – All living organisms have the
ability to sense their surrounding s and
respond to different types of stimulus
through specific receptors or sensory
organs.
Different types of life processes :
1.Nutrition
2. Respiration
3.Transtportation
4.Excreation
NUTRITION
The intake of food together with
utilisation is called nutrition.
OR
 CH – 6. LIFE PROCESSES

Nutrition can also be defined as the

process of intake of food ,its digestion ,
absorption and distributionto different
parts in plants and animals .
TYPES OF NUTRITION :

MODE OF NUTRITION

AUTOTROPHIC
HETEROTROPHIC

CHEMOTROPHIC PHOTOTROPHIC HOLOZOIC SAPROPHYTIC PARASITIC

There are two types of nutrition :

1.Autotrophic nutrition
2.Heterotrophic nutrition
 CH – 6. LIFE PROCESSES

1. Autotrophic nutrition – (auto – Self ,

trophe– nutrition ) The type of nutrition
in which organisms make their own food
by utilising the raw materials like H2O
(water) ,CO2 (carbon dioxide) in the
presence of sunlight and with the help of
chlorophyll present in leaves of green
plants ,is called autotrophic nutrition .
Types of autotrophic nutrition :
There are two types of autotrophic
nutrition –
1.Phototrophic – (photo-light,trophe –
nourishing) The organism preparing their
organic food i.e, carbohydrate (glucose)
from inorganic materials (CO2 and water
), in the preaence of sunlight and the
photosynthetic pigment chlorophyll are
called phototrophs and their nutrition is
called phototrophic nutrition.
 CH – 6. LIFE PROCESSES

The process by which green plants

manufacture their food is called
photosynthesis and it occurs in green
plants .
Equation for photosynthesis :

sunlight

6CO2 +6H2 O chlorophyll

C6H12O6 + 6O2

2.Chemotrophic nutrition –Some

autotrophic organisms synthesize their
organic food with the help of chemical
reactions from inorganic substances
.These chemical reactions are called
chemosynthesis and the organisms going
through the process are chemotrophs
e.g,sulphur bacteria ,nitrogen bacteria N2
.The mode of nutrition is called
chemotrophic nutrition.
CH – 6. LIFE PROCESSES