BAL BHARATI PUBLIC SCHOOL, PITAMPURA, DELHI – 110034

SUBJECT: BIOLOGY

CLASS X: CHAPTER: LIFE PROCESSES

TOPIC- LIFE PROCESSES (HETEROTROPHIC NUTRITION)

Guidelines:
Dear Students

 Refer to the following content for the chapter.

 These notes will help you understand the concept of the lesson.
 Do the assignment questions in the Biology notebook.

Heterotrophic nutrition:

Nutrition which is obtained from other organisms that could be plants or other animals is
known as Heterotrophic nutrition. There are three types of heterotrophic nutrition:
Holozoic, Saprophytic and Parasitic

Comparison chart between three types of heterotrophic nutrition:

Holozoic nutrition Saprotrophic nutrition Parasitic nutrition

1. The organism feeds by The organism feeds on dead Organisms obtain nutrients
ingesting solid organic and decaying matter. from other living
matter which is then Digestive enzymes are organisms by depending on
digested and absorbed released on the substrate and the body of the host and
within its body. when nutrients are broken causing harm to the host.
down, the simplest form is
taken up.
2. Host is not required Host is not required Host is required
Examples: humans, Examples: Some Bacteria and Examples: Lice,
animals and all fungi tapeworms, Leech, Cuscuta
insectivorous plants. (a parasitic plant)

Nutrition in Amoeba
Amoeba, a unicellular organism, feeds on bacteria, planktons, microscopic algae and other
unicellular organisms. Food is taken by the entire surface. The process of obtaining food by
amoeba is called phagocytosis. The process of nutrition is shown diagrammatically below:
 Kindly refer to the link shared below for better understanding of the process of nutrition
in Amoeba. It will enable you to experience and visually interpret the process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_4Y0tTHqyk
Process of nutrition in Paramoecium:
Kindly refer to the link shared below for better understanding of the process of nutrition
in Paramoecium. It will enable you to experience and visually interpret the process.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h9IxqqmBKo
Nutrition in Human Beings:
Human Beings are complex organisms; hence they need different organs to carry on their life
processes. Human digestive system consists of alimentary canal which includes mouth, pharynx,
oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine and anus.
The process of nutrition in Human Beings is shown below:
Mouth: Teeth chew food in
the presence of saliva which Oesophagus: Propels food particles
has salivary amylase to by peristaltic movements from
break down starch into pharynx to stomach.
Maltose (sugar). Tongue –
Helps in tasting food and
rolling it into a ball.
 Stomach:

 Structure: J shaped
muscular sac
Liver: Produces bile juice,  Three components: HCL,
which helps in mucus and pepsin
Emulsification of fats- large  Stores and mixes food
fat molecules are converted  Chemical digestion of food
to small globules so that by enzymes and HCL
they are easily transported (creates acidic medium
in the blood. facilitating the action of
pepsin)
Gall Pancreas  Regulates food delivery to
bladder small intestine.
Stores bile Secretes
which gets enzymes
secreted (amylase, Small intestine:
into trypsin, 
Duodenum- Its first portion
duodenum lipase) and
receives secretions from
of small bicarbonate
liver, gall bladder, pancreas
intestine into small
intestine.  Digests proteins, fats and
Large intestine: Rectum: Expandable sac carbohydrates
that stores faeces and is a  Role- absorption of
Structure: wider than small part of large intestine. nutrients by increasing the
intestine but shorter in surface area by the
length. Anus: Opening through
infoldings called Villi, richly
which faeces are eliminated
Absorbs remaining water supplied by blood vessels
from the body.
from undigested waste and that help in absorbing
forms faeces. nutrients.
Kindly refer to the link shared below for better understanding of the process of nutrition
in Human beings. It will enable you to experience visual interpretation of the process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og5xAdC8EUI

I wish I knew about a and enzyme.

simple way to draw
human digestive
system. system...

Here's the solution: An easy way to draw human digestive system:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiNdCcuSWCA

What are the main

steps in the
process of
nutrition?
Steps of Nutrition:

 Ingestion is the task of taking in of food.

 Digestion is necessary for breaking down food particles into nutrients that are used up
by the body as a source of energy, for cell repair and growth.

 Absorption is the uptake of nutrients in the simplest form by blood and then
transporting it to different cells in the body. (does not occur in unicellular forms)

 Assimilation is the utilisation of absorbed nutrients by the cells of our body.

 Egestion is the elimination of undigested waste.

Key words:

Heterotrophic Ingestion Peristaltic Phagocytosis Digestion Villi Absorption

Summary:

 The human digestive system breaks down food to release energy essential for the body
to carry out its activities.
 The process of nutrition takes place in 5 major steps i.e. ingestion, digestion, absorption,
assimilation and egestion.
 The food is ingested by the alimentary canal and is propelled through the body for
further processing.
 The autonomous nervous system controls the peristalsis, contraction and relaxation of
muscles within the alimentary canal wall.
 The food is passed to the stomach, small intestine where it is digested, and the
nutrients are absorbed with the help of Villi ( finger like projections)
 Water, electrolytes and vitamins are absorbed by the large intestine, and the waste is
defecated.

ASSIGNMENT:

Q1. The small intestine of herbivores is longer than that of carnivores. Analyse.
Q2. Absorption of digested food occurs mainly in small intestine. Enumerate upon the structural
design of the small intestine that favours absorption.
Q3. Fill up the incomplete boxes in the given flow chart with respect to the human digestive system.
Q4. State the functions of liver and pancreas.
Q5.What will happen if:
a) HCL is not secreted in the stomach
b) Mucus is absent in the stomach
c) Saliva does not have salivary amylase
d) Only one type of teeth is present in human beings
e) No bile is produced by the Liver