Life Processes Class 10 Notes

-Life Processes: All the processes like respiration, digestion, which together keep the living
organisms alive and help in maintaining the functions of the body, are called life processes.
-Bio-catalysts: Enzymes are called bio-catalysts as they play an important role in chemical
reactions taking place in living organisms.
2. Nutrition: The process by which an organism obtains its food is called nutrition.
Modes of Nutrition:
Autotrophic nutrition: Kind of nutrition in which inorganic materials like CO2, water, etc. are
utilized to prepare organic food by the process of photosynthesis. For example, green plants
and some bacteria.
Heterotrophic nutrition: Kind of nutrition in which organisms do not possess the ability to
synthesize their own food. They depend on autotrophs for their food supply directly or indirectly.
For example, animals, fungi.
4. Photosynthesis: Autotrophs take in CO2 and H2O and convert these into carbohydrates in
the presence of chlorophyll and sunlight by the process called Photosynthesis.
5. Equation of Photosynthesis:

6. Raw Materials for Photosynthesis:

-Sunlight
-Chlorophyll-It helps to trap the energy of the Sun
-CO2-It enters through Stomata
-Water-Water and dissolved minerals are taken up by the roots from soil
7. Products of Photosynthesis:
-Carbohydrates in the form of glucose
-Oxygen (O2)-released as a by-product (Released from H2O)
8. Site of Photosynthesis:
-Chloroplast is the site of photosynthesis.
-Chloroplast contains a green pigment called chlorophyll which helps to trap energy of sunlight.

9. Events of Photosynthesis:
-Absorption of light energy by chlorophyll.
-Conversion of light energy to chemical energy + splitting of water molecules into hydrogen and
oxygen.
-Reduction of carbon dioxide to carbohydrates.

Note: These steps need not take place one after the other immediately. For eg, desert plants
take up carbon dioxide at night and prepare an intermediate which is acted upon by the energy
absorbed by the chlorophyll during the day.

10. Structure of Leaf: External structure of leaf comprises of:

Petiole: Stalk of leaf.
Lamina: Flat, broad and expanded portion of leaf.
Midrib: Midline which divides leaf into two equal halves.
Veins: Supply water throughout surface of leaf.
11.Internal structure of leaf comprises of:
Epidermis: It has two parts:
(i) upper epidermis and
(ii) lower epidermis.
(i) Upper epidermis is usually covered by a waxy layer called cuticle which prevents
water loss through transpiration.
(ii) Lower epidermis has stomata which help in gaseous exchange.
12. Stomata: Tiny pores which are generally found in the lower epidermis and help in gaseous
exchange and transpiration.
Guard cells: Bean-shaped cells which guard the opening of stomata.
-They have chloroplasts and have uneven thickening in their cell wall. Opening and closing of
stomatal pore is done by guard cells.
-Movement of water into guard cells cause their swelling and open the stomatal pore.
-The shrinking of the guard cells when water moves out causes closing of stomatal pore.

NOTE: Other materials like nitrogen, phosphorus, iron and magnesium are taken up from the
soil. Nitrogen is an essential element used in the synthesis of proteins and other compounds.
Nitrogen is taken up in the form of inorganics nitrates or nitrites. Or it is taken up as organic
compounds which have been prepared by bacteria from atmospheric nitrogen.

12. Types of Heterotrophic Nutrition:

Holozoic nutrition: The complex food material taken in by the organism is broken down into
simpler and soluble molecules. For example, Human, Amoeba.
Saprotrophic nutrition: The organisms feed on the dead and decaying matter. For example,
Fungi.
Parasitic nutrition: The organisms live either on or inside the organism to obtain its nutrition.
For example, Lice, Cuscuta (amarbel).
Q. How saprophytic nutrition differs from parasitic mode of nutrition on the basis of
digestion?
Ans- In saprophytic nutrition, digestion takes place outside the body(of saprophytes) and in
parasitic mode of nutrition, digestion takes place inside the body of an organism(parasite)

13. Steps in Holozoic Nutrition:

i)Ingestion
ii)Digestion
iii)Absorption
iv)Assimilation
v)Egestion.

14. Nutrition in Amoeba:

-Temporary finger-like extensions of the cell surface called pseudopodia are used by Amoeba to
engulf food.
-Pseudopodia fuse over the food particle forming a food vacuole in which complex substances
are broken down into simpler ones and diffuse into the cytoplasm.
-The remaining undigested material moves to the surface of the cell and gets thrown out.
15. Nutrition in Paramoecium:
In Paramoecium, food is moved to a specific spot by the movement of cilia which cover the
entire surface of the cell.

16. Nutrition in Human Beings:

Human digestive system consists of alimentary canal and the associated glands. The alimentary
canal is a long tube extending from the mouth to the anus.

NUTRITION IN HUMAN BEINGS:

Holozoic mode:
They are organisms that follow five steps in sequence: ingestion, digestion, absorption,
assimilation & egestion.
For example: Human being
(Organism showing this mode can be Herbivorous, Carnivorous or Omnivorous)
Digestive System of man:
Man is a heterotroph & has holozoic mode of nutrition. Digestive system of man is divided into
two parts:
1. Alimentary canal
2. Associated glands
Alimentary Canal is a 9 meter long tube that starts from mouth and ends up at anus.
It has following organs in sequence:
-Mouth
-Oesophagus
-Stomach
-Small Intestine
-Large Intestine
-Anus
-Buccal Cavity:
-Mouth – Helps in intake of whole food.
-Teeth – Helps in chewing and grinding of food; Heterodont and thecodont
-Types of teeth: Incisors (8 in number(including both jaws), use to bite the food and cut into
smaller pieces. Canines (4 in number, Used for tearing and piercing), Premolars (8 in number
used for chewing and grinding) & Molars (12 in numbers, Used for chewing and grinding)
-Tongue – Helps in tasting food + rolling food + swallowing food.

20. Salivary glands – Secrete saliva and mucus. The enzyme called salivary amylase is
present in saliva which breaks down the complex starch into sugar.

Parts of small intestine are Duodenum (Initial part of small intestine), Jejunum(middle part of
small intestine) & Ileum(last part of small intestine)

Parts of large intestine are Caecum, Colon & Rectum.

Associated glands:

1) Salivary gland- Saliva containing starch is called Ptyalin (Salivary Amylase). Salivary
Amylase converts Starch into Maltose. Maltose is disaccharide which is made up of 2
glucose molecules
2) Gastric gland- They produce various gastric juices which has 3 components:
a) Mucus- It lines the stomach wall from the harmful effects of HCL
b) Hydrochloric Acid- It provides an acidic medium for the conversion of pepsinogen
(inactive form) to pepsin. Pepsin is protein digesting enzyme (Proteolytic enzyme.)
Important(Question- Why proteolytic enzyme is not secreted in active form
directly?)
c) Pepsinogen- It is inactive form of enzyme pepsin. Pepsinogen is converted into
pepsin in the presence of HCL. Pepsin converts proteins into peptones.
d) Renin- It helps to change milk to curd.
3) Pancreas (Pancreatic Gland)- It produces pancreatic juices.
Pancreatic juice contains following enzymes:
1.Amylase- It helps in converting starch to maltose.
2.Trypsin- It helps in converting Peptones to dipeptides.
3.Lipase- Helps in converting fats to fatty acid & glycerol.

4) Liver produces bile juices which help in emulsification of fats.

• NOTE: Excess bile juice is stored in gall bladder.

• NOTE: THERE IS NO DIGESTION WITHIN LIVER.
• Bile juice is secreted into the initial part of the small intestine.

Ques- Write the functions of bile juice.

Ans- 1. Emulsification of fats (Conversion of large globules of fats into small globules.)
2. It creates alkaline medium for the action of pancreatic enzymes.
Note- Bile juice is alkaline in nature.
4) Gland in ILEUM (last part of small intestine)prepares erepsin (mixture of enzymes)
which helps in converting the following-
 • Peptides to amino acid
• Lipase/ fat to fatty acid & glycerol
• Maltase/ maltose to glucose
• Lactase/ lactose to galactose

5) PANCREAS: Gland present beneath the stomach.

• Produces pancreatic juice which contains enzymes- AMYLASE, TRYPSIN AND LIPASE.
• Pancreatic enzymes are able to act in alkaline medium, which is provided by bile juice.
• Pancreatic juice is also secreted in initial part of small intestine.

STEPS OF HOLOZOIC NUTRITION:

1.Ingestion: It is a process in which the food is taken in mouth and churned with the help of
teeth.

2.Digestion: In the mouth, saliva is secreted through salivary gland that contains serum
amylase which starts the digestion of starch. The masticated food is rolled into bolus and is
swallowed. Then the food, from food pipe, by peristaltic movement passes into the stomach .

3.In Stomach: When the food goes in the stomach, gastric juices are secreted i.e.,

• Mucus- That lines the stomach wall. Protects the inner wall of stomach from the
secretions of HCL.
• Hydrochloric Acid- That provides an acidic medium for activation of Pepsinogen
(inactive form of enzyme) into pepsin(active form).
• Pepsin- Enzyme that converts proteins to Peptones.
• NOTE: Pepsin is not secreted in active form directly into the stomach. It is secreted in
inactive form first i.e. pepsinogen. Pepsinogen is later gets converted into pepsin under
the effect of HCL.
• Renin- That changes milk to curd.
• Food remains in the stomach for about 3 hours and then is passed into the duodenum in
the form of chyme.
Sphincter Muscle: The exit of food from the stomach is regulated by sphincter muscle
which releases it in small amount into small intestine.
3. In small Intestine: is the site of complete digestion.
• In Duodenum (initial part of small intestine) the bile juices, bicarbonates ions from liver
& pancreatic juice from pancreas are secreted.
• Then the bile juice helps in emulsification of fats.
• The bicarbonates ions (present in bile juice) provide alkaline medium to pancreatic
juices.
• The pancreatic juices help in converting amylase and starch into maltose.
• Also trypsin helps to convert peptones to peptides.
• Lipase also helps to convert fat into fatty acid & glycerol.
 • Then the food passes from jejunum (middle part of small intestine) to ileum (last part of
small intestine). In ileum intestinal juice is secreted that completes the digestion and
converts food into soluble form i.e. amino acid, fatty acid & glucose.
Q- Why herbivores have longer small intestine than carnivores?
A- Herbivores eating grass need a longer small intestine to allow the cellulose to be
digested. Meat is easier to digests, hence carnivores like tigers have shorter small
intestine.
Q- Where does the complete digestion takes place in human body?
A- Small Intestine.
Absorption: In ileum there are small finger like projections called villi that increase the surface
area for absorption. Villi are richly supplied with blood capillaries. Absorbed food is passed into
blood & through blood, diffuses into body cells.

Important Question- How villi are designed to have maximum absorption of digested
food.?

Assimilation: In body cells, energy is produced from absorbed food .

Egestion:The undigested food passes through the large intestine & water absorption take
place. This undigested food from caecum passes to colon and then to rectum where it forms
faeces and is egested through anus.

Peptic Ulcer: It is a disorder when mucus membrane of stomach gets corroded due to which
acid effect reaches stomach wall which leads to ulcers.

4. In Large Intestine:
• The undigested food from the small intestine enters in the large intestine.
• The presence of villi in the large intestine helps in the absorption of excess
water from the undigested food.
• Note : there is no digestion in large intestine.
• The unabsorbed food is sent to the large intestine where more villi absorb water
from this undigested material and the rest of the material is excreted from the
body by anus.
• The excretion of waste materials by anus is regulated by the anal sphincters.

Q- Write a short note about dental caries.

A- Pg 100 (Yellow Box)

Homework: Solve in text questions given on page 101.