NCERT Chapter 5 – Life Processes Question and Answers

Life processes are the fundamental activities that differentiate living organisms from non-living matter. These intricate, interconnected functions are essential for growth, development, maintenance, and ultimately, survival. Imagine a complex machine; life processes are the well-coordinated operations that keep it running smoothly.

Importance of Life Processes

  • Survival: Every life process plays a specific role in ensuring an organism’s continued existence. Nutrition provides the building blocks and energy for growth and repair. Respiration breaks down nutrients to release energy that powers all other processes. Transportation delivers essential materials throughout the organism. Excretion eliminates waste products that could be harmful if allowed to accumulate. Reproduction ensures the continuation of the species.
  • Growth and Development: Life processes facilitate the transformation of an organism from a single cell to a mature individual. Growth involves an increase in size and complexity, while development entails the specialization of cells and tissues to perform specific functions.
  • Adaptation and Response: Life processes enable organisms to adjust to changing environmental conditions. For instance, plants regulate transpiration (water loss) through stomata based on temperature and humidity. Animals use energy from respiration to maintain body temperature in cold environments.

Life Process Summaries

  • Nutrition: The process of acquiring nutrients and using them for various bodily functions. Plants (autotrophs) produce their own food through photosynthesis, while animals (heterotrophs) obtain nutrients from consuming other organisms.
  • Respiration: The process by which organisms break down glucose (or other organic molecules) to release energy for cellular activities. Cellular respiration can be aerobic (requiring oxygen) or anaerobic (not requiring oxygen).
  • Transportation: The movement of materials within an organism, ensuring essential substances like nutrients, oxygen, and waste products reach their designated locations. The circulatory system, for example, plays a crucial role in transportation in animals.
  • Excretion: The process of eliminating waste products generated during cellular activities. These waste products can be toxic if allowed to accumulate.
  • Metabolism: The sum of all chemical reactions occurring within living organisms. It encompasses processes like the breakdown of nutrients for energy production, the synthesis of new molecules, and the elimination of waste products.
  • Reproduction: The biological process by which organisms create new individuals of their own kind. It ensures the continuity of life and the propagation of species. There are two main types of reproduction: sexual (involving the fusion of gametes) and asexual (involving the development of new individuals from a single parent).

Life Process Exercise Question Answer Solutions

1. The kidneys in human beings are a part of the system for (a) nutrition. (c) excretion. (b) respiration. (d) transportation.  Ans: (c) excretion. 2. The xylem in plants are responsible for  (a) transport of water. (c) transport of amino acids. (b) transport of food. (d) transport of oxygen.  Ans: (a) transport of water. 3. […]

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The kidneys in human beings are a part of the system for

(a) nutrition. (c) excretion. (b) respiration. (d) transportation.  Ans: (c) excretion. 2. The xylem in plants are responsible for  (a) transport of water. (c) transport of amino acids. (b) transport of food. (d) transport of oxygen.  Ans: (a) transport of water. 3. The autotrophic mode of nutrition requires (a) carbon dioxide and water. (c) sunlight.

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What is the role of saliva in the digestion of food?

Ans: Saliva plays a important role in the digestion of food by moistening and lubricating it, which aids in the formation of a food bolus for easier swallowing. Saliva contains the enzyme amylase, which begins the chemical breakdown of starches into simpler sugars. Additionally, saliva has antibacterial properties that help maintain oral hygiene. MCQs Based

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 What are the necessary conditions for autotrophic nutrition and what are its byproducts?

The necessary conditions for autotrophic nutrition include: The byproducts of autotrophic nutrition (photosynthesis) are: Reaction Involved: 6CO2 ​ +6H2O+light energy→C6H12O6 ​ +6O2  Breakdown Process:   Chlorophyll: The green pigment in the chloroplasts that captures light energy and converts it into chemical energy. MCQs Based on the above question

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What are the differences between aerobic and anaerobic respiration? Name some organisms that use the anaerobic mode of respiration.

Ans: Aerobic Respiration: Anaerobic Respiration: Some organisms that use anaerobic respiration include yeast (for fermentation) and some bacteria. In humans, muscle cells can also undergo anaerobic respiration temporarily during intense exercise, leading to the production of lactic acid. MCQs Based on the above question

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Describe double circulation of blood in human beings. Why is it necessary? 

Ans: Double circulation in humans involves two separate circuits: the pulmonary circulation and the systemic circulation. Double circulation is necessary to ensure that oxygen-rich blood is efficiently delivered to body tissues while carbon dioxide is removed, optimizing the oxygenation process and maintaining efficient metabolic activity. MCQs Based on the above question

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