Life Processes

Nutrition
1. Why is diffusion insufficient to meet oxygen requirements of muti-cellular organisms like humans? In single-celled organisms the entire surface of the organisms is in contact with the environments for the diffusion of substances. In multi-cellular organisms all the cells may not be in direct contact with the surrounding environment. So simple diffusion will not meet the requirements of all the cells. 2. What criteria do we use to decide whether something is alive? Breathing, growth, movement. 3. Why are molecular movements needed for life? Living organisms are well organized structures. The ordered nature of living organism can break down over time due to the effects of the environments (if the order breaks down, the organism cannot remain). To repair and maintain the order of these structures, molecular movements are needed for life. 4. What are Life Processes? The maintenance processes of living organisms are called Life Processes. E.g. Nutrition, Respiration, Transpiration, Excretion. 5. What is Nutrition? Nutrition is the intake and utilization of food. 6. What is the function of food? The functions of food are to provide materials for energy, growth, development and biosynthesis of body constituents. 7. What is Respiration? The process of acquiring oxygen from outside the body and to use it in the process of breakdown of food sources for cellular needs is called Respiration. 8. What is the need for a transportation system in organisms?

Food and oxygen are taken up at one place in the body of the organism while all other parts of the body need them. Wastes produced in the body cells have to be transported to the excretory organs. These create the need for a transport system to transport substance from one place to another. 9. What is Excretion? The removal of wastes products of metabolism is called Excretion. 10. What are the outside raw materials used by an organism? The outside raw materials, food and oxygen are used for production of energy and biosynthesis of body constituents. 11. What processes would you consider essential for maintaining life? Nutrition, respiration, transportation and excretion. 12. How do living things set their food? Autotrophic Nutrition - From simple inorganic substances like carbon dioxide and water. Heterotrophic Nutrition From complex food synthesized by the autotrophs. 13. What is the difference between autotrophic and heterotrophic nutrition. In autotrophs, food is synthesized from simple inorganic substance like carbon dioxide and water whereas in heterotrophs, food is derived from the complex food synthesized by the autotrophs. They have enzymes for breaking down the complex food taken from autotrophs. Examples of autotrophs are green plants, some bacteria, etc. Examples of heterotrophs are animals, fungi, etc. 14. What are Enzymes? Enzymes are biocatalysts. 15. What is Photosynthesis? Photosynthesis is the process of synthesis of carbohydrates using carbon dioxide and water in the presence of sunlight and chlorophyll. 16. What is the function of carbohydrates in the body? The function of carbohydrates in the body is to provide energy to the body. 17. Name the internal energy reserve in the form of carbohydrates

a) In plants b) In the human body a) Starch b) Glycogen 18. What is the chemical equation for Photosynthesis?

19. Write the three events occurring during photosynthesis. i. Absorption of light energy by chlorophyll. ii. Conversion of light energy to chemical energy and splitting of water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. iii. Reduction of carbon dioxide into carbohydrates. Photosynthesis contains two stages: light reaction and dark reaction. Light reaction occurs in the presence of light. During this reaction, light energy is converted to chemical energy. Dark reaction occurs in the absence of light. The chemical energy stored during light reaction is used to convert or reduce carbon dioxide into carbohydrates. 20. Draw cross-section of a leaf showing the internal structure of the leaf.

21. Name the pigment that absorbs sunlight. Chlorophyll 22. Name the organelle necessary for photosynthesis.

23. How do you test the presence of starch in a leaf? i. De-starch a potted plant by keeping it in a dark room for three days so that all the starch present in the plant gets used up. ii. Now keep the plant in sunlight for 6 hours. iii. Pluck a leaf from the plant. iv. Dip the leaf in boiling water to kill the cells. v. Immerse it in a beaker containing alcohol. vi. Place the beaker in a water-bath and heat till the alcohol begins to boil (Alcohol should not be exposed to heat directly as it is highly inflammable). The leaf becomes de-colorized and the alcohol turns to a greenish shade. vii. Dip the leaf in a dilute solution of iodine for a few minutes. viii. Take out the leaf and rinse of the iodine. The presence of starch is indicated by a blue-black colour on the leaf. 24. What is the result of starch test done with a variegated leaf? Only the green colored parts of the leaf will show blue-black colour showing that starch is produced only there, i.e. chlorophyll is necessary for photosynthesis. 25. Draw open and closed stomata and label its parts.

26. What are Stomata? What are their functions? Stomata are tiny pores on the surface of a leaf. Functions of stomata: a. Exchange of gases Carbon dioxide and Oxygen. b. Transpiration 27. What is the function of guard-cells?

The function of the guard-cells are to help the opening and closing of the stomatal pore. 28. What causes the stomatal pore to open and close? The guard-cells swell when water flows into them causing the stomatal pore to open When the guard-cells shrink, the stomatal pore closes. 29. Draw and describe the experiment to show that carbon dioxide is essential for photosynthesis.

a. Take two healthy potted plants which are nearly the same size. b. Keep them in a dark room for three days. c. Now place each plant on separate glass plates. Place a watch-glass containing potassium hydroxide by the side of one of the plants. The potassium hydroxide is used to absorb carbon dioxide. d. Cover both plants with separate bell-jars as shown in the figure. e. Use Vaseline to seal the bottom of the jars to the glass plates so that the set-up is air-tight. f. Keep the plants in sunlight for about two hours. g. Pluck a leaf from each plant and check for the presence of starch 30. Draw and describe an experiment to show that sunlight is essential for photosynthesis. 31. Where do plants get each of the raw materials required for photosynthesis? Carbon dioxide Land plants - From the atmosphere. Aquatic Plants - From the carbon dioxide dissolved in

water. Water From the soil.

32. Name a few elements taken by plants from the soil. Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Iron and Magnesium. 33. Name the element absorbed from the soil which is essential for photosynthesis. In what form is it absorbed? Nitrogen. Nitrogen is absorbed in the form of nitrites, nitrates and organic compounds prepared by nitrogen fixing bacteria in the soil. 34. Give examples of organisms which break-down the food materials outside the body and then absorb (Saprophytic Nutrition). Bread Mould, Yeast, Mushroom. 35. Name a few plant parasites and animal parasites. Plant Parasites Cuscutta, orchids, etc. Animal Parasites Lice, leech, tapeworm, etc. 36. Draw and describe the nutrition in amoeba.

Amoeba takes in food using temporary finger-like extensions of the cell, called pseudopodia. Then engulf the food and fuse over the food to form a food vacuole. Inside the food vacuole, complex substances are broken down into simpler ones which then diffuse into the cytoplasm. The remaining undigested substances is moved to the surface of the cell and thrown out. 37. How does the intake of food differ in amoeba and paramecium?

Amoeba takes in food by temporary finger-like extensions of the cell surface called pseudopodia, whereas in paramecium, food is taken at a definite spot on the body surface, by the movement of cilia. 38. What is the result of starch test on a variegated leaf? 39. What are the three strategies by which food is taken in by a heterotrophic organism? i. Some organisms break-down the food material outside the body and then absorb it E.g. bread mould, yeast, mushrooms. ii. Some others take in whole material and break it down inside their bodies iii. Some organisms derive their nutrition from plants and animals without killing them. 40. Name the different parts of the alimentary canal. Mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine and anus. 41. Name the digestive glands present in the body. Salivary glands, gastric glands, pancreas, liver. 42. Name the enzyme present in the saliva. What is its function? The enzyme present in the saliva is Salivary Amylase. It helps in the digestion of starch to sugars. 43. What is the role of teeth and tongue in digestion? Teeth crush the food into small pieces for easy swallowing and digestive enzymes to act on it. Tongue mixes this food thoroughly with saliva and moves it around the mouth. 44. What is peristaltic movement? The rhythmic contradiction of muscles of the alimentary canal to push the food forward is known as peristaltic movement. 45. What happens to the food in the stomach? Food is made acidic by hydrochloric acid. Protein digesting enzymes digests protein. The mucus protects the inner lining of the stomach from the action of acids.

46. What causes acidity? Imbalance in production of gastric juice causes acidity. 47. What is the role of sphincter muscles in the stomach? The exit of food from the stomach is regulated by the sphincter muscle. It releases food in small amounts into the small intestine 48. Why do carnivores have shorter intestine than herbivorous? Herbivores eat grass which needs a longer small intestine to allow cellulose to get digested. Meat is easier to digest, hence carnivores like tigers have a shorter small intestine. 49. What is the role of small intestine in the process of digestion? Small intestine is the site of complete digestion of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. It receives the secretion of two large glands, liver and pancreas. 50. What is the role of liver in the process of digestion? Liver produces bile-juice. The acidic food coming from the stomach is made alkaline for pancreatic enzymes to act, by the bile juices. Bile salts breakdown fat into small globules increasing the efficiency of enzyme action. 51. What is the role of pancreas in the process of digestion? Pancreas produces pancreatic juice which contains enzymes like trypsin for digesting proteins and lipase for breaking down of emulsified fats. 52. What are villi? What is their function? Villi are finger-like projections on the inner lining of the small intestine.Villi absorb digested food. Surface area of absorption is increased by the numerous villi. Villi are richly supplied with blood vessels and absorption takes place easily through the thin epithelium of villi. 53. What happens to the absorbed food in the cells? Absorbed food is utilized for obtaining energy, building up of new tissues and repair of old tissues. 54. What are the end products of digestion of carbohydrates, proteins and fats?

Carbohydrates are digested to glucose. Proteins are digested to amino acids. Fats are digested into fatty acids and glycerol. 55. Draw the human alimentary canal and label its parts.