LIFE PROCESSES

Page Number: 95

Question 1
Why is diffusion insufficient to meet the oxygen
requirements of multicellular organisms like humans ?
Answer:
In multicellular organisms like humans, all the body cells are
not in direct contact with the surrounding environment.
Therefore, every cell of the body will not get oxygen as per
need by the process of diffusion from the environment.
Therefore diffusion is insufficient to meet the oxygen
requirements of multicellular organisms.

Question 2
What criteria do we use to decide whether something is
alive ?
Answer:
The main criteria used to decide whether something is alive
are breathing and respiration. However, living beings also
show growth and movement.

Question 3
What are outside raw materials used by an organism ?
Answer:
Any organism uses organic molecules as raw material.
Heteroptrophs use food and autotrophs use carbon dioxide,
minerals, water and all organisms use oxygen (for
respiration) as raw materials.

Question 4
What processes would you consider essential for
maintaining life ?
Answer:
Processes essential for maintaining life are :
(i) Nutrition
(ii) Respiration
(iii) Transportation
(iv) Excretion
Page Number: 101

Question 1
What are the differences between autotrophic nutrition
and heterotrophic nutrition ?
Answer:

Autotrophic nutrition Heterotrophic nutrition

(i) In this mode of nutrition (i) In this mode of nutrition an

an organism makes or organism cannot make or
synthesizes its own food. synthesize its own food

Organisms use simple

(ii) Organisms cannot make
inorganic materials like
their own food from simple
carbon dioxide and water and
inorganic matter and depend on
synthesise their food in
other organisms for their food.
presence of sunlight.

(iii) All green plants and some (iii) All the animals, most
algae undergo this mode of bacteria and fungi undergo this
nutrition. mode of nutrition.

Question 2
Where do plants get each of the raw materials required for
photosynthesis ?
Answer:
(i) Carbon dioxide : Plants get carbon dioxide from the
environment/atmosphere through stomata.
(ii) Water : Plants absorb water from the soil through roots
and transport to leaves.
(iii) Sunlight : Plants get sunlight from the sun.
(iv) Chlorophyll : It is present in chloroplast found in green
leaves and green parts of plants.

Question 3
What is the role of the acid in our stomach ?
Answer:
Role of acid in our stomach is :
(i) To make acidic medium which is necessary for the
activation of the enzyme pepsin.
(ii) To kill bacteria which the food may contain.

Question 4
What is the function of digestive enzymes ?
Answer:
The food we eat is complex in nature, i.e., it contains
complex molecules. Digestive enzymes break down these
complex molecules into smaller simpler molecules so that
they can be absorbed by the walls of the intestine.

Question 5
How is the small intestine designed to absorb digested food
?
Answer:
The small intestine is designed to provide maximum area for
absorption of digested food and its transfer into the blood
for its circulation into the body. For this the inner lining of
the small intestine has numerous finger-like projections
called villi. The villi are richly supplied with blood vessels
which take the absorbed food to each and every cell of the
body.

Page Number: 105

Question 1
What advantage over an aquatic organism does a terrestrial
organism have with regard to obtaining oxygen for
respiration ?
Answer:
Aquatic organisms use oxygen dissolved in surrounding
water. Since air dissolved in water has fairly low
concentration of oxygen, the aquatic organisms have much
faster rate of breathing.
Terrestrial organisms take oxygen from the oxygen-rich
atmosphere through respiratory organs. Hence, they have
much less breathing rate than aquatic organisms.

Question 2
What are the different ways in which glucose is oxidised to
provide energy in various organisms ?
Answer:
First step of breakdown of glucose (6 carbon molecules)
takes place in the cytoplasm of cells of all organisms. This
process yields a three carbon molecule compound called
pyruvate.
Further break down of pyruvate takes place in different
ways in different organisms.

(i) Anaerobic respiration : The anaerobic respiration in

plants (like yeast) produces ethanol and carbon dioxide as
end products.
(ii) Aerobic respiration : In aerobic respiration break down
of pyruvate takes place in presence of oxygen to give rise
three molecules of carbon dioxide and water. The release of
energy in aerobic respiration is much more than in anaerobic
respiration.
(iii) Lack of oxygen : Sometimes, when there is lack of
oxygen especially during physical exercise, in our muscles,
pyruvate is converted into lactic acid (3 carbon molecule
compound). Formation of lactic acid in muscles causes
cramp.

Question 3
How is oxygen and carbon dioxide transported in human
beings ?
Answer:
(i) Transport of oxygen : Haemoglobin present in the blood
takes up the oxygen from the air in the lungs. It carries the
oxygen to tissues which are deficient in oxygen before
releasing it.
(ii) Transport of carbon dioxide : Carbon dioxide is more
soluble in water. Therefore, it is mostly transported from
body tissues in the dissolved form in our blood plasma to
lungs. Here it diffuses from blood to air in the lungs.

Question 4
How are the lungs designed in human beings to maximise the
area for exchange of gases ?
Answer:
Within the lungs, the air passage divides into smaller and
smaller tubes, called bronchi which in turn form bronchioles.
The bronchioles terminate in balloon-like structures, called
alveoli. The alveoli present in the lungs provide maximum
surface for exchange of gases. The alveoli have vary thin
walls and contain an extensive network of blood vessels to
facilitate exchange of gases.

Page Number: 110

Question 1
What are the components of the transport system in human
beings ? What are the functions of these components ?
Answer:
The transport system (circulatory system) in human beings
mainly consists of heart, blood and blood vessels.
(i) Function of heart : The heart receives deoxygenated
blood from the body parts and pumps it to lungs for
enriching with oxygen. It receives purified blood from lungs
and pumps it around the body.
(ii) Function of blood : Blood transports oxygen, carbon
dioxide, digested food, hormones and nitrogeneous waste
like urea. It also protects the body from diseases and
regulates the body temperature.
(iii) Function of blood vessels : The blood pushed by the
heart flows through the blood vessels (arteries, veins and
capillaries) and also comes back to the heart through them.

Question 2
Why is it necessary to separate oxygenated and
deoxygenated blood in mammals and birds ?
Answer:
Separation of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood allows
good supply of oxygen to the body. This system is useful in
animals that have high energy requirement. Mammals and
birds constantly need oxygen to get energy to maintain
their body temperature constant.

Question 3
What are the components of the transport system in highly
organised plants?
Answer:
In highly organised plants there are two conducting tissues
xylem and phloem.
Xylem consists of vessels, tracheids and other xylem
tissues. The interconnected vessels and tracheids form a
continuous system of water conducting channels reaching all
parts of the plant. Xylem carries water and minerals.
Phloem conducts soluble products of photosynthesis from
leaves to different parts of the plant body.

Question 4
How are water and minerals transport in plants ? [AICBSE
2015]
Answer:
The roots of a plant have hair called root hair.
The root hair are directly in contact with the film of water
in between the soil particles. Water and dissolved minerals
get into the root hair by the process of diffusion. The
water and minerals absorbed by the root hair from the soil
pass from cell to cell by osmosis through the epidermis,
root cortex, endodermis and reach the root xylem.

The xylem vessels of the root of the plant are connected to

the xylem vessels of its stem.
Therefore the water containing dissolved minerals enters
the root xylem vessels into stem xylem vessels. The xylem
vessels of the stem branch into the leaves of the plants. So,
the water and minerals carried by the xylem vessels in the
stem reach the leaves through the branched xylem vessels
which enter from the petiole (stalk of the leaf) into each
and every part of the leaf. Thus the water and minerals
from the soil reach through the root and stem to the leaves
of the plants. Evaporation of water molecules from the cells
of a leaf creates a suction which pulls water from the xylem
cells of roots. The loss of water in the form of vapour from
the aerial parts of the plant is known as transpiration.

Question 5
How is food transported in plants ?
Answer:
The movement of food in phloem (or translocation) takes
place by utilizing energy. The sugar (food) made in leaves is
loaded into the sieve tubes of phloem tissue by using energy
from ATR Water now enters the sieve tubes containing
sugar by the process of osmosis due to which the pressure
in the phloem tissue rises. This high pressure produced in
the phloem tissue moves the food to all parts of the plant
having less pressure in their tissues. This allows the phloem
to transport food according to the needs of the plant.

Page Number: 112

Question 1
Describe the structure and functions of nephrons.
Answer:
Structure of nephron : Each nephron is composed of two
parts. First one is a cup-shaped bag at its upper end which
is called Bowman’s capsule.
The Bowman’s capsule contains a bundle of blood capillaries
which is called glomerulus. One end of the glomerulus is
attached to the renal artery which brings the impure blood
containing the urea waste into it. These impurities are
filtered. The other part of the nephron is coiled. In this
part, the substances like sugar (glucose), amino acid, ions
and excess water which are required by the body, are
reabsorbed. The substance remained in the nephron is
mainly urine containing dissolved urea in water which is
expelled from the body through urethra from time to time.

Functions of nephron : Filtration of blood takes place in

Bowman’s capsule from the capillaries of glomerulus. The
filtrate passes into the tubular part of the nephron. This
filtrate contains glucose, amino acids, urea, uric acid, salts
and water.
Reabsorption : As the filtrate flows along the tubule, useful
substances such as glucose, amino acids, salts and water are
selectively reabsorbed into the blood by capillaries
surrounding the nephron tubule.
Urine : The filtrate which remained after reabsorption is
called urine. Urine contains dissolved nitrogenous waste like
urea and uric acid, excess salts and water. Urine is collected
from nephrons to carry it to the ureter from where it
passes into urinary bladder.

Question 2
What are the methods used by plants to get rid of
excretory products ?
Answer:
(i) The plants get rid of gaseous products-through stomata
in leaves and lenticels in stems.
(ii) The plants get rid of stored solid and liquid waste by the
shedding off leaves, peeling off bark and felling off fruits.
(iii) The plants get rid of wastes by secreting them in the
form of gums and resins.
(iv) Plants also excrete some waste substances into the soil
around them.

Question 3
How is the amount of urine produced regulated ?
Answer:
The amount of urine is regulated by kidney. It depends on
the quantity of excess water and wastes dissolved in water.

(i) Quantity of water : When water is abundant in the body

tissues, large quantities of dilute urine is excreted out.
When water is less in quantity in the body tissues, a small
quantity of concentrate urine is excreted.
(ii) Quantity of dissolved wastes : Dissolved wastes,
especially nitrogenous wastes, like urea and uric acid and
salts are excreted from the body. When there is more
quantity of dissolved wastes in the body, more quantity of
water is required to excrete them. Therefore, the amount
of urine produced increases.
(iii) Hormones : The amount of urine produced is also
regulated by certain hormones which control the movement
of water and Na+ ions in and out of the nephrons.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Science Chapter 6 Textbook

Chapter End Questions

Question 1
The kidneys in human beings are a part of the system for
(i) nutrition
(ii) respiration
(iii) excretion
(iv) transportation
Answer:
(iii) Excretion
Question 2
The xylem in plants are responsible for
(i) transport of water
(ii) transport of food
(iii) transport of amino acids
(iv) transport of oxygen
Answer:
(i) Transport of water

Question 3
The autotrophic mode of nutrition requires
(i) carbon dioxide and water
(ii) chlorophyll
(iii) sunlight
(iv) all of the above
Answer:
(iv) All of the above

Question 4
The breakdown of pyruvate to give carbon dioxide, water
and energy takes place in
(i) cytoplasm
(ii) mitochondria
(iii) chloroplast
(iv) nucleus
Answer:
(ii) Mitochondria
Question 5
How are fats digested in our bodies ? Where does this
process take place ?
Answer:
Digestion of fats takes place in the small intestine.
Bile juice secreted by the liver poured in the intestine along
with pancreatic juice. The bile salts present in the bile juice
emulsify fhe large globules of fats. Therefore, by
enulsification large globules break down into fine globules to
provide larger surface area to act upon by the enzymes.
Lipase enzyme present in the pancreatic juice causes break
down of emulsified fats. Glands present in the wall of small
intestine secrete intestinal juice which contains lipase
enzyme that converts fats into fatty acids and glycerol.

Question 6
What is the role of saliva in the digestion of food ?
Answer:
Saliva contains salivary amylase enzyme that breaks down
starch into sugars like maltose.

Saliva keeps the mouth cavity clean and moistens the food
that help in chewing and breaking down the big pieces of
food into smaller ones.
Question 7
What are the necessary conditions (or autotrophic nutrition
and what are its by-products ?
Answer:
Necessary conditions for autotrophic nutrition :
(i) Presence of chlorophyll in the living cells.
(if) Provision of supply of water to green plants or cells of
the plant.
(iii) Sufficient sunlight.
(iv) Sufficient supply of carbon dioxide.
By-product of auto tropic nutrition is oxygen.

Question 8
What are the differences between aerobic and anaerobic
respiration ? Name some organisms that use the anaerobic
mode of respiration.
Answer:

Aerobic respiration Anaerobic respiration

1. It takes place in the presence 1. It takes place in the absence of

of oxygen. oxygen.

2. Complete breakdown of food 2. Partial breakdown of food occur

occurs in aerobic respiration. anaerobic respiration.
 3. The end products in anaerobic
3. The end products in aerobic
respiration may be ethanol and car
respiration are carbon dioxide
dioxide (as in yeast plants) or lacti
and water.
acid (as in animal muscles).

4. Aerobic respiration produces a 4. Much less energy is produced in

considerable amount of energy. anaerobic respiration.

Some organisms which use anaerobic respiration are yeast,

bacteria etc.

Question 9
How are the alveoli designed to maximise the exchange of
gases ?
Answer:
(i) The alveoli are thin walled and richly supplied with a
network of blood vessels to facilitate exchange of gases
between blood and the air filled in alveoli.
(ii) Alveoli have balloon-like structure. Hence, provide
maximum surface for exchange of gases.

Question 10
What would be the consequences of a deficiency of
haemoglobin in our bodies?
Answer:
Due to the deficiency of haemoglobin in blood, its oxygen
carrying capacity decreases. As a result the production of
energy by oxidation will become slower. Therefore, one
would fall sick and would feel fatigue most of the time.

Question 11
Describe double circulation in human beings. Why is it
necessary ?
Answer:
In our heart blood enters twice and also pumped out twice
from the heart. The deoxygenated blood from the body is
brought to the right atrium through vena cava from where
it is sent to right ventricle. From right ventricle, the blood
is pumped to the lungs for oxygenation through pulmonary
artery. The oxygenated blood from lungs again enters the
left atrium of the heart through pulmonary veins. From left
atrium it is send to left ventricle, from where this
oxygenated blood is pumped to different parts of body
through the arteries. In this way the blood flows through
the heart twice, that’s why it is called ‘double circulation’.

Necessity of double circulation: The right side and the

left side of the human heart are useful to keep
deoxygenated and oxygenated blood from mixing. This type
of separation of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood
ensures a highly efficient supply of oxygen to the body.
This is useful in case of humans who constantly need energy
to maintain their body temperature.

Question 12
What are the differences between the transport of
materials in xylem and phloem ?
Answer:

Xylem Phloem

1. Xylem conducts water and 1. Phloem conducts prepared foo

dissolved minerals from roots to material from leaves to other pa
leaves and other parts. of plant in dissolved form.

2. In xylem, the transport of 2. In phloem, transport of mater

material takes place through takes place through sieve tubes
vessels and tracheids which are with the help of companion cells,
dead tissues. which are living cells.

3. In xylem upward movement of 3. In translocation, material is

water and dissolved minerals is transferred into phloem tissue
mainly achieved by transpiration using energy from ATP. This
pull. It is caused due to suction increases the osmotic pressure t
created by evaporation of water moves the material in the phloem
molecules from the cells of a leaf. tissues which have less pressure

Question 13
Compare the functioning of alveoli in the lungs and nephrons
in the kidneys with respect to their structure and
functioning.
Answer:

Alveoli Nephron
1. Alveoli are functional unit of 1. Nephrons are functional unit o
lungs. kidney.

2. A mature lung has about 30 2. A kidney has about 10 lakh

crore alveoli. nephrons.

3. Alveoli provide a wide surface 3. The surface area of a nephron

for gaseous exchange. not much more.

4. The exchange of O2 and 4. The Bowman’s capsule in nephr

CO2 takes place through the regulates the concentration of
network of capillaries in alveoli. water and salts.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Science Chapter 6 Life

Processes

Life processes: ‘Living being’. Basic concept of nutrition,

respiration, transport and excretion in plants and animals.

Board CBSE

Textbook NCERT

Class Class 10

Subject Science

Chapter Chapter 6
Chapter Name Life Processes

Number of Questions Solved 34

Category NCERT Solutions

Question 1
How are fats digested in our bodies? Where does this
process take place?
Solution:
The small intestine is the site of the complete digestion of
carbohydrates, proteins and fats. It receives the
secretions of the liver and pancreas for this purpose. The
food coming from the stomach is acidic and has to be made
alkaline for the pancreatic enzymes to act. Bile juice from
the liver accomplishes this in addition to acting on fats.
Fats are present in the intestine in the form of large
globules, which make it difficult for enzymes to act on
them. Bile salts break them down into smaller globules
increasing the efficiency of enzyme action. The pancreas
secretes pancreatic juice, which contains enzymes like
trypsin for digesting proteins and lipase for breaking down
emulsified fats. The walls of the small intestine contain
glands, which secrete intestinal juice. The enzymes present
in it finally convert the proteins to amino acids, complex
carbohydrates into glucose and fats into fatty acids and
glycerol.
Question 2
What is the role of saliva in the digestion of food?
Solution:
When we eat something we like, our mouth ‘waters’. This is
actually not only water, but also a fluid called saliva
secreted by the salivary glands. Another aspect of the food
we ingest is its complex nature. If it is to be absorbed from
the alimentary canal, it has to be broken into smaller
molecules. This is done with the help of biological catalysts
called enzymes. The saliva contains an enzyme called
salivary amylase that breaks down starch, which is a
complex molecule to give sugar. The food is mixed
thoroughly with saliva and moved around the mouth while
chewing by the muscular tongue.

More Resources for CBSE Class 10

• NCERT Solutions

• NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Science

Question 3
What are the necessary conditions for autotrophic nutrition
and what are its byproducts?
Solution:
Carbon and energy requirements of the autotrophic
organism are fulfilled by photosynthesis. It is the process
by which autotrophs take in substances from the outside
and convert them into stored forms of energy. This
material is taken in the form of carbon dioxide and water,
which is converted into carbohydrates in the presence of
sunlight and chlorophyll. Carbohydrates are utilised for
providing energy to the plant. The carbohydrates, which are
not used immediately, are stored in the form of starch,
which serves as the internal energy reserve to be used as
and when required by the plant.

Download NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Science Chapter 6

Life Processes PDF

Question 4
What are the differences between aerobic and anaerobic
respiration? Name some organisms that use the anaerobic
mode of respiration.
Solution:
The food material taken in during the process of nutrition is
used in cells to provide energy for various life processes.
Diverse organisms do this in different ways – some use
oxygen to breakdown glucose completely into carbon dioxide
and water; some use other pathways that do not involve
oxygen. In all cases, the first step is the breakdown of
glucose, a six-carbon molecule, into a three-carbon molecule
called pyruvate. This process takes place in the cytoplasm.
Further, the pyruvate may be converted into ethanol and
carbon dioxide. This process takes place in yeast during
fermentation. Since this process takes place in the absence
of air (oxygen), it is called anaerobic respiration. Breakdown
of pyruvate using oxygen takes place in the mitochondria.
This process breaks up the three-carbon pyruvate molecule
to give three molecules of carbon dioxide. The other
product is water. Since this process takes place in the
presence of air (oxygen), it is called aerobic respiration.
The release of energy in this aerobic process is a lot
greater than in the anaerobic process.

Question 5
How are the alveoli designed to maximise the exchange of
gases?
Solution:
Within the lungs, the passage divides into smaller and
smaller tubes, which finally terminate in balloon-like
structures, which are called alveoli. The alveoli provide a
surface where the exchange of gases can take place. The
walls of the alveoli contain an extensive network of blood
vessels. As we have seen in earlier years, when we breathe
in, we lift our ribs and flatten our diaphragm, and the chest
cavity becomes larger as a result. Because of this, air is
sucked into the lungs and fills the expanded alveoli. The
blood brings carbon dioxide from the rest of the body for
release into the alveoli, and the oxygen in the alveolar air is
taken up by blood in the alveolar blood vessels to be
transported to all the cells in the body. During the
breathing cycle, when air is taken in and let out, the lungs
always contain a residual volume of air so that there is
sufficient time for oxygen to be absorbed and for the
carbon dioxide to be released.

Question 6
Describe double circulation in human beings. Why is it
necessary?
Solution:
The double circulatory system of blood flow refers to the
separate systems of pulmonary circulation and the systemic
circulation.
The adult human heart consists of two separated pumps,
the right side with the right atrium and ventricle which
pumps deoxygenated blood into the pulmonary circulation.
The oxygenated blood re-enters the left side of the heart
through the pulmonary vein into the left atrium and passes
to the left ventricle where it is pumped to the rest of the
body. This part of the circulation is called as systemic
circulation. This type of circulation is called double
circulation. The advantage of a double circulatory system is
that blood can be pumped to the rest of the body at a
higher pressure.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) [1 Mark each]

Question 1.
Yeast respires anaerobically using sugar as a substrate. Out
of the options given below, choose the correct combination
of condition and product?
 Condition Product

(a) Aerobic Alcohol

(b) Aerobic Lactic acid

(c) Anaerobic Alcohol

(d) Anaerobic Lactic acid

Answer:
(c) Under an aerobic condition, yeast respires and converts
glucose to alcohol and CO2.

Question 2.
The table shows the percentage composition of four
samples of air. Which sample could have been breathed out
by a person after vigorous exercise?

Samples Oxygen Carbondioxide Water Vapour

(a) 16 0.3 Saturated

(b) 16 4 Saturated

(c) 21 0.03 Trace

(d) 21 3 Trace
Answer:
(b) This is because rapid aerobic respiration occurs – during
vigorous exercise in order to obtain more energy.

Question 3.
Cramps caused during sudden activities are due to the
formation of
(a) lactic acid
(b) acetic acid
(c) excess of water
(d) ethanol
Answer:
(a) Lactic acid is formed by the breakdown of pyruvate
when oxygen is insufficient in muscles instead of forming
C02 and water. Accumulation of excess lactic acid in the
muscles causes cramps.

Question 4.
Which of the following plays nose like function in plants?
(a) Flower
(b) Phloem
(c) Stomata
(d) Chlorophyll
Answer:
(c) Stomata are pores which help in the passage of air in the
plants.

Question 5.
Which changes occur when a person breathe in deeply?
 Diaphragm Muscle External Intercostal Muscle

(a) Contracts Contract

(b) Contracts No change

(c) Relaxes Contract

(d) Relaxes Relax

Answer:
(a) When a person breathes deeply the external intercostal
muscles contract causing the rib cage to swing up and out.
Also, the diaphragm contracts and flattens causing the
thoracic cavity to increase in volume and decrease in
pressure.

Question 6.

The diagram given above shows part of the lining of the

human trachea. What is the function of X?
(a) Gaseous exchange
(b) Mucus removal
(c) Phagocytosis
(d) Secretion of mucus
Answer:
(b) The cilia (X) of the cells lining the air passages move in a
sweeping motion to keep the air passages clean. The
constant action of these cilia carry mucus and debris
upward into the pharynx where they are swallowed.

Question 7.
The table given below shows the percentage composition of
a gas in inspired and in expired air.

%Composition

Inspired Air Expired Air

21.0 16.0

What is the gas?

(a) Carbon dioxide
(b) Nitrogen
(c) Oxygen
(d) Water vapour
Answer:
(c) The gas is oxygen as atmospheric air has approximately
21% of oxygen