Life Processes

Flashcards for key vocabulary related to life processes, covering nutrition, respiration, transportation, and excretion.

Life Processes

The processes that perform the maintenance job of living organisms.

Nutrition

The process to transfer a source of energy (food) from outside the body to the inside.

Autotrophs

Organisms that use simple food material obtained from inorganic sources like carbon dioxide and water (e.g., green plants and some bacteria).

Heterotrophs

Organisms that utilize complex substances which need to be broken down (e.g., animals and fungi).

Photosynthesis

The process by which autotrophs convert carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates in the presence of sunlight and chlorophyll.

Chloroplasts

Cell organelles that contain chlorophyll and are essential for photosynthesis.

Stomata

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

Guard Cells

Cells that regulate the opening and closing of stomatal pores.

Enzymes

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

Salivary Amylase

An enzyme in saliva that breaks down starch into simple sugars.

Peristaltic Movements

Rhythmic contractions of muscles in the digestive tube that push food forward.

Gastric Glands

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

Pepsin

A protein-digesting enzyme released by gastric glands in the stomach.

Sphincter Muscle

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

Bile Juice

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

Pancreatic Juice

A juice secreted by the pancreas containing enzymes like trypsin and lipase.

Trypsin

An enzyme in pancreatic juice for digesting proteins.

Lipase

An enzyme in pancreatic juice for breaking down emulsified fats.

Villi

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

Dental Plaque

Masses of bacterial cells together with food particles stick to the teeth.

Respiration

The process of breaking down food material in cells to provide energy for various life processes.

Pyruvate

A three-carbon molecule formed from the breakdown of glucose.

Anaerobic Respiration

The breakdown of pyruvate in the absence of oxygen, producing ethanol and carbon dioxide (e.g., in yeast).

Aerobic Respiration

The breakdown of pyruvate using oxygen in the mitochondria, producing carbon dioxide and water.

ATP

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

Stomata

Pores in plants for gas exchange (CO2 and O2).

Alveoli

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

Haemoglobin

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

Blood Pressure

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

Systolic Pressure

Blood pressure inside the artery during ventricular contraction.

Diastolic Pressure

Blood pressure inside the artery during ventricular relaxation.

Xylem

Plant vascular tissue that moves water and minerals from the soil.

Phloem

Plant vascular tissue that transports products of photosynthesis from the leaves to other parts.

Transpiration

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

Excretion

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

Nephrons

Filtration units in the kidneys that remove nitrogenous waste from the blood.