LIFE PROCESSES NOTES

DEFINE THE FOLLOWING TERMS:

Biology- the study of lifeOrganism- any living thingMetabolism- all the chemical

reactions Homeostasis- a stable internal

environment

ALL LIVING THINGS MUST CARRY ON THE 8 LIFE PROCESSES

1. Reproduction- the process by which living things produce new organisms of their own kind. Reproduction is NOT required for the life of a single organism. There are 2 types:

a. ASEXUAL involves 1 parent, produces offspring identical to that of the parent

b. Sexual Involves 2 parents, produces offspring NOT IDENTICAL to either parent

2. Respiration- the process of releasing chemical energy.

*RESPIRATION RELEASES ENERGY*

There are 2 forms

a. ANAEROBIC -without oxygen

b. AEROBIC -with oxygen

3. Regulation – All the activities that help to maintain equilibrium within an organism. In animals it involves 2 main body systems; the nervous(electrical impulses) and the endocrine (hormones). Both bring about changes in the organism to respond to changes the organism may be experiencing. For example, the pupil of the eye in bright light.

4. Growth- process by which an organism increases in size.

5. Excretion- the removal of chemical wastes from the body.

For example, CO2, urine, sweat

6. Nutrition- taking of materials from the external environment and changing them into usable forms. There are 2 basic types:

a. AUTOTROPHIC-organisms capable of making their own food. For example, plants, algae

b. HETEROTROPHIC-organisms that cannot make their own food, but instead rely on other organisms for their nutrients. For example, humans, elephants

Nutrition involves 3 basic processes:

*ingestion-taking in food

*digestion- breaking down food

*egestion-getting rid of undigested material

7. Transport- the process by which substances enter and leave cells and become distributed and circulated throughout the organism.

8. Synthesis- the combining of simple substances to make more complex ones. The incorporation of material that have been synthesized is known as assimilation