Life Processes

Flashcards for Life Processes chapter review.

Life Processes

Processes that perform the maintenance job in living organisms.

Nutrition

A process to transfer a source of energy from outside the body of the organism to the inside, commonly called nutrition.

Chemical Reactions

Breaking down or building up energy sources in the body and converting them to a uniform source of energy.

Respiration

The process of acquiring oxygen from outside the body and using it to break down food sources for cellular needs.

Transportation System

A system for carrying food and oxygen from one place to another in the body.

Excretion

The process by which waste by-products are removed from the body and discarded outside.

Autotrophs

Organisms that use simple food material obtained from inorganic sources in the form of carbon dioxide and water.

Photosynthesis

The process by which autotrophs take in substances from the outside and convert them into stored forms of energy using carbon dioxide, water, sunlight, and chlorophyll.

Heterotrophs

Organisms that utilize complex substances that must be broken down into simpler ones and depend directly or indirectly on autotrophs.

Enzymes

Bio-catalysts used by organisms to break down complex substances into simpler ones.

Stomata

Tiny pores present on the surface of leaves for gaseous exchange.

Guard Cells

Cells that control the opening and closing of stomatal pores.

Parasitic Nutrition

Deriving nutrition from plants or animals without killing them.

Food-vacuole

Temporary finger-like extensions of the cell surface used by Amoeba to take in food.

Alimentary Canal

A long tube extending from the mouth to the anus in human beings.

Saliva

Fluid secreted by the salivary glands containing salivary amylase.

Salivary Amylase

Enzyme in saliva that breaks down starch into simple sugar.

Peristaltic Movements

Rhythmic contractions of muscles in the lining of the alimentary canal to push food forward.

Gastric Glands

Glands present in the wall of the stomach that release hydrochloric acid, pepsin, and mucus.

Pepsin

Protein-digesting enzyme released by gastric glands.

Sphincter Muscle

A muscle that regulates the exit of food from the stomach into the small intestine.

Bile Juice

Juice from the liver that makes food alkaline and acts on fats.

Bile Salts

Salts that break down large fat globules into smaller globules.

Pancreatic Juice

Juice secreted by the pancreas containing trypsin and lipase.

Trypsin

Enzyme for digesting proteins found in pancreatic juice.

Lipase

Enzyme for breaking down emulsified fats found in pancreatic juice.

Villi

Finger-like projections in the inner lining of the small intestine that increase the surface area for absorption.

Dental Caries

Condition causing gradual softening of enamel and dentine due to bacteria acting on sugars to produce acids.

Pyruvate

First step of respiration, glucose, a six-carbon molecule, is broken down into a three-carbon molecule.

Anaerobic Respiration

Respiration that takes place in the absence of air (oxygen).

Aerobic Respiration

Respiration that uses oxygen to break down pyruvate in the mitochondria.

ATP

Molecule used to fuel all other activities in the cell; the energy currency for most cellular processes.

Hemoglobin

Respiratory pigment in human beings that has a very high affinity for oxygen.

Alveoli

Balloon-like structures in the lungs where the exchange of gases can take place.

Plasma

Liquid medium of blood where food, carbon dioxide, and nitrogenous wastes are transported in dissolved form.

Blood Pressure

The force that blood exerts against the wall of a vessel.

Systolic Pressure

Pressure of blood inside the artery during ventricular systole (contraction).

Diastolic Pressure

Pressure in artery during ventricular diastole (relaxation).

Arteries

Vessels which carry blood away from the heart to various organs of the body.

Veins

Vessels that collect blood from different organs and bring it back to the heart.

Capillaries

The smallest blood vessels with walls one-cell thick where exchange of material between the blood and surrounding cells takes place.

Platelets

Cells in the blood that circulate around the body and plug leaks by helping to clot the blood at points of injury.

Lymph

Fluid or tissue fluid that is involved in transporting consisting of plasma, proteins and blood cells that escape into intercellular spaces in the tissues

Xylem

Tissue that moves water and minerals obtained from the soil in plants.

Phloem

Tissue that transports products of photosynthesis from the leaves to other parts of the plant.

Transpiration

Loss of water in the form of vapor from the aerial parts of the plant.

Excretion

The biological process involved in the removal of harmful metabolic wastes from the body.

Nephron

Basic filtration unit in the kidneys.