Life Processes:

1. Define life processes. Name the major life processes in organisms.

o Answer: Life processes are the essential functions carried out by
living organisms to sustain life. These processes include Nutrition,
Respiration, Excretion, and Transportation. These processes help in
obtaining energy, maintaining the body, and ensuring the survival of
the organism.
2. What are autotrophs and heterotrophs? Explain with examples.
o Answer:
 Autotrophs are organisms that can synthesize their own food
from simple substances like carbon dioxide and water using
sunlight. They perform photosynthesis to prepare food.
Examples include green plants, algae, and certain bacteria.
 Heterotrophs, on the other hand, are organisms that depend
on other organisms (either plants or animals) for food. They do
not synthesize their own food but consume other organisms
for energy. Examples include animals, fungi, and humans.
What is photosynthesis? Describe the process and its importance for
autotrophic organisms.
o Answer: Photosynthesis is the process by which autotrophic
organisms, primarily plants, synthesize food from carbon dioxide and
water using sunlight and chlorophyll. The process occurs in the
chloroplasts of plant cells. The reaction for this is :

This process is crucial for autotrophic organisms as it provides them with energy in
the form of glucose, which is used for growth, reproduction, and other vital
processes.
: What are the events that occur during photosynthesis?
Answer: The major events during photosynthesis are:
Absorption of light energy by chlorophyll.
Conversion of light energy into chemical energy.
Splitting of water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen (photolysis).
Reduction of carbon dioxide to form glucose.
3. What is the role of stomata in plants? How does it help in photosynthesis?
o Answer: Stomata are small pores found on the surface of leaves.
They allow for the exchange of gases. The stomata also allow water
vapor to escape in a process called transpiration. The guard cells
regulate the opening and closing of the stomata, controlling water
loss and gas exchange; carbon dioxide enters the plant for
photosynthesis, and oxygen is released as a byproduct
4. Explain the iodine test for photosynthesis.
o Answer: The iodine test is used to detect the presence of starch,
which is produced during photosynthesis. A leaf is boiled in water to
soften it, then boiled in alcohol (usually ethanol) to remove
chlorophyll. After this, the leaf is rinsed in cold water to soften it
again, and then iodine solution is applied. The iodine stains the starch
in the leaf, turning it blue-black. This indicates that starch, a product
of photosynthesis, is present in the leaf.
5. How do plants obtain nitrogen?
o Answer: Plants obtain nitrogen through nitrogen-fixing bacteria
present in the soil, or from the soil itself
o

Nutrition in Organisms:
o
 What is the difference between saprophytic, holozoic, and parasitic
nutrition?
o Answer:
 Saprophytic nutrition is when organisms obtain their food
from dead and decaying organic matter. Fungi and some
bacteria exhibit this type of nutrition.
 Holozoic nutrition is the ingestion of solid food, followed by
digestion and absorption. Animals, including humans, exhibit
this type of nutrition.
 Parasitic nutrition is when organisms derive nutrients from
living hosts without killing them. Examples include lice,
tapeworms, and some bacteria.
9. Explain how nutrition occurs in Amoeba.
o Answer: Amoeba exhibits holozoic nutrition. It uses temporary
extensions of the cell membrane called pseudopodia to surround and
engulf food particles, forming a food vacuole. Digestive enzymes are
secreted into the food vacuole, breaking down the food. Nutrients
are absorbed into the cytoplasm, and undigested material is expelled
through the surface of the cell.
10.Describe the process of digestion in human beings.
o Answer: In humans, digestion starts in the mouth, where salivary
amylase begins breaking down starch into sugars. From the mouth,
the food is taken to the stomach through the food-pipe or
oesophagus. The digestion in stomach is taken care of by the gastric
glands present in the wall of the stomach. These release hydrochloric
acid, a protein digesting enzyme called pepsin, and mucus. The
hydrochloric acid creates an acidic medium which facilitates the
action of the enzyme pepsin. The exit of food from the stomach is
regulated by a sphincter muscle which releases it in small amounts
into the small intestine. The small intestine is the site of the complete
digestion of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. It receives the
 secretions of the liver and pancreas for this purpose. The food
coming from the stomach is acidic and has to be made alkaline for
the pancreatic enzymes to act. Bile juice from the liver accomplishes
this in addition to acting on fats. Fats are present in the intestine in
the form of large globules which makes it difficult for enzymes to act
on them. Bile salts break them down into smaller globules increasing
the efficiency of enzyme action. The pancreas secretes pancreatic
juice which contains enzymes like trypsin for digesting proteins and
lipase for breaking down emulsified fats. The walls of the small
intestine contain glands which secrete intestinal juice. The enzymes
present in it finally convert the proteins to amino acids,carbohydrates
into glucose and fats into fatty acids and glycerol. Digested food is
taken up by the walls of the intestine. The inner lining of the small
intestine has numerous finger-like projections called villi which
increase the surface area for absorption. The villi are richly supplied
with blood vessels which take the absorbed food to each and every
cell of the body, where it is utilised for obtaining energy, building up
new tissues and the repair of old tissues. The unabsorbed food is sent
into the large intestine where its wall absorb more water from this
material. The rest of the material is removed from the body via the
anus. The exit of this waste material is regulated by the anal
sphincter.
11.What is the role of bile in digestion?
o Answer: Bile is produced by the liver. Its primary role is to emulsify
fats, breaking large fat globules into smaller ones. This increases the
surface area for the action of pancreatic enzymes, allowing for more
efficient fat digestion. Bile also neutralizes the acidic substances from
the stomach, providing an alkaline environment for the enzymes in
the small intestine to act upon.
12.Explain the structure and function of the villi in the small intestine.
o Answer: Villi are tiny, finger-like projections in the inner wall of the
intestine. They increase the surface area for nutrient
 absorption. It is richly supplied with blood vessels that transport the
nutrients to each and every cell of the body.

Respiration in Organisms:
13.What is respiration? Explain the difference between aerobic and
anaerobic respiration.
o Answer: Respiration is the process by which organisms convert
glucose into usable energy in the form of ATP.
 Aerobic respiration occurs in the presence of oxygen, where
glucose is completely broken down into carbon dioxide and
water, releasing a large amount of energy. The equation is:
 Anaerobic respiration occurs in the absence of oxygen, where
glucose is only partially broken down, usually into lactic acid (in
muscle cells) or ethanol and carbon dioxide (in yeast).
Anaerobic respiration releases much less energy.
14.What is the role of mitochondria in aerobic respiration?
o Answer: Mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell, where
aerobic respiration occurs. They provide an environment for the
complete breakdown of glucose, that is, break down of pyruvate
using oxygen takes place in the mitochondria.
15.Why do muscles sometimes switch to anaerobic respiration during intense
activity?
o Answer: During intense physical activity, the muscles may require
more oxygen than the blood can supply. As a result, the muscles
switch to anaerobic respiration, which doesn't require oxygen, to
produce energy. However, this process produces a buildup of lactic
acid, which can lead to cramps.
 16. Explain the human respiratory system and its components.
o Answer: The human respiratory system consists of the following
components:
1. Nostrils – where air enters the body.
2. Pharynx – the throat, which serves as a passage for air.
3. Larynx – contains the vocal cords and helps in the production
of sound.
4. Trachea – windpipe, which directs air to the lungs.
5. Bronchi – branches from the trachea that lead to the lungs.
6. Alveoli – tiny air sacs in the lungs where gas exchange occurs.
Oxygen diffuses into the blood, and carbon dioxide diffuses
out.
16.What is the role of alveoli in gas exchange?
o Answer: Alveoli are tiny air sacs in the lungs that provide a large
surface area for gas exchange. They allow oxygen to diffuse from the
air into the blood and carbon dioxide to diffuses out from the blood
into the air, which is then exhaled.

Transportation in Organisms:
18.Explain the process of transportation of food and oxygen in human beings.
o Answer: In humans, oxygen is transported by red blood cells
containing hemoglobin, which binds to oxygen in the lungs and
carries it to tissues. Similarly, nutrients (like glucose) are transported
by plasma, the liquid portion of blood, from the digestive system to
various tissues.
19.Describe the structure and function of arteries and veins.
o Answer:
  Arteries are thick-walled blood vessels that carry oxygenated
blood (except the pulmonary artery) from the heart to various
body parts. They have elastic walls to withstand the high
pressure of blood flow. They have no valves.
 Veins are thinner-walled blood vessels that carry deoxygenated
blood (except the pulmonary vein) back to the heart. They
have valves to prevent the backflow of blood, the blood flow in
veins is under lower pressure.
20.What is double circulation in human beings?
o Answer: Double circulation is said to happen when blood goes
through the heart twice in one cycle.
21.What is lymph, and how does it differ from blood?
o Answer: Lymph is similar to the plasma of blood but colourless and
contains less protein. It is part of the lymphatic system and involved
in transportation. Lymph carries digested and absorbed fat from
intestine and drains excess fluid.
o
How is Lymph formed?
Through the pores present in the walls of capillaries some amount of
plasma, proteins and blood cells escape into intercellular spaces in
the tissues to form the lymph.

Excretion in Organisms:
22.What is excretion? Why is it necessary for organisms?
o Answer: Excretion is the process by which nitrogenous waste
products, such as urea, carbon dioxide, and excess salts, are removed
from the body. It is necessary to prevent the buildup of toxic
substances, which could harm cells and disrupt bodily functions.
23.Explain the structure and function of the human excretory system.
 o Answer: The human excretory system consists of the following
components:
1. Kidneys – filter blood and remove waste, producing urine.
2. Ureters – tubes that transport urine from the kidneys to the
urinary bladder.
3. Urinary bladder – stores urine until it is excreted.
4. Urethra – the passage through which urine is expelled from the
body.
24.What is the function of nephrons in the kidneys?
o Answer: Nephrons are the functional units of the kidneys. They filter
the blood, reabsorb useful substances like glucose, and excrete waste
products as urine.
It is a cluster of very thin-walled blood capillaries known as
glomerulus. Each capillary cluster in the kidney is associated with the
cup-shaped end of a coiled tube called Bowman’s capsule that
collects the filtrate.
25.What is the process of haemodialysis?
o Answer: Haemodialysis or dialysis is an artificial method of removing
waste and excess fluid from the blood in individuals with an artificial
kidney. In this process, blood is filtered through a dialysis machine,
using diffusion.
26.How do plants excrete waste?
o Answer: Plants excrete waste primarily through transpiration, the
process of water vapor loss. They also release oxygen and carbon
dioxide through stomata during gas exchange. Some waste is stored
in xylem vessels as resin or gums.

Transportation in Plants:
27.How does water move in plants?
 Answer: Provided that the plant has an adequate supply of water, the water
which is lost through the stomata is replaced by water from the xylem vessels
in the leaf. In fact, evaporation of water molecules from the cells of a leaf
creates a suction which pulls water up from the roots through the xylem
vessels. The loss of water in the form of vapour from the aerial parts of the
plant is known as transpiration.
What is transpiration and how does it help in the movement of water in
plants?
Answer: Transpiration is the process by which water vapor is lost from the
aerial parts of the plant, particularly through stomata. This loss of water creates a
suction within the plant, which draws more water up from the roots through the
xylem vessels, aiding in the transport of nutrients and maintaining hydration.
28.What is the function of phloem in plants?
o Answer: Phloem is responsible for the transport of food (mainly
glucose) produced during photosynthesis from the leaves to other
parts of the plant for growth and storage. The movement of
substances in phloem occurs through translocation, which can occur
in multiple directions (upward or downward).

Translocation – Process of transport of soluble products of

photosynthesis