Life Processes Flashcards

Flashcards about life processes, nutrition, respiration, transportation and excretion.

Life Processes

The processes which together perform maintenance jobs in living organisms.

Nutrition

A process to transfer a source of energy from outside the body of the organism to the inside.

Respiration

The process of acquiring oxygen from outside the body and using it in the break-down of 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; survival depends 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 that facilitate gaseous exchange.

Guard cells

Cells that control the opening and closing of stomatal pores.

Parasitic Nutrition

A nutritive strategy where organisms derive nutrition from plants or animals without killing them.

Food-vacuole

Temporary finger-like extensions used by Amoeba to engulf food particles.

Salivary amylase

An enzyme present in saliva that breaks down starch into simple sugar.

Peristaltic movements

Muscular contractions that push food forward along the digestive tube.

Gastric glands

Glands in the stomach wall that release hydrochloric acid, pepsin, and mucus for digestion.

Pepsin

An enzyme that digests proteins in the stomach.

Sphincter muscle

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

Bile juice

Secretions from the liver that make food alkaline and act on fats by breaking them down into smaller globules.

Pancreatic juice

Enzymes secreted by the pancreas like trypsin for digesting proteins and lipase for breaking down emulsified fats.

Villi

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

Dental caries

Gradual softening of enamel and dentine caused by acids produced by bacteria acting on sugars.

Cellular respiration

The break-down of glucose in cells to provide energy for various life processes.

Anaerobic respiration

Break-down of glucose without using oxygen

Aerobic respiration

Break-down of pyruvate using oxygen taking place in the mitochondria.

ATP

A molecule used to fuel all other activities in the cell.

Energy currency

The energy currency for most cellular processes.

Alveoli

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

Haemoglobin

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

Blood

Fluid connective tissue consisting of plasma and cells that transports food, oxygen, and waste materials.

Heart

A muscular organ that pumps blood around the body.

Atrium

Upper chamber of the heart that receives blood from the lungs or body.

Ventricle

Lower chamber of the heart that pumps blood out to the body or lungs.

Single circulation

Blood goes only once through the heart in the fish during one cycle of passage through the body.

Double circulation

Blood goes through the heart twice during each cycle in other vertebrates

Blood pressure

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

Arteries

Vessels that carry blood away from the heart to various organs of the body; have thick, elastic walls.

Veins

Vessels that collect blood from different organs and bring it back to the heart; have valves to ensure blood flows in one direction.

Capillaries

The smallest vessels with walls that are one-cell thick; facilitate the exchange of material between blood and surrounding cells.

Platelets

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

Lymph

Fluid that escapes into intercellular spaces and drains into lymphatic capillaries; carries digested fat and drains excess fluid back into the blood.

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

The loss of water in the form of vapor from the aerial parts of the plant.

Translocation

Transport of soluble products of photosynthesis in plants.

Excretion

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

Kidneys

A pair of organs in the abdomen that filter out waste products from the blood to produce urine, located on either side of the backbone.

Ureters

Tubes through which urine produced in the kidneys passes into the urinary bladder.

Urinary bladder

Structure in excretory system where urine is stored until it is released through the urethra.

Nephrons

The basic filtration unit in the kidneys.

Artificial kidney

A device used to remove nitrogenous waste products from the blood through dialysis in case of kidney failure.