Life Process Class 10 Science Notes

Nutrition in Plants and Animals – Life Processes Class 10 Notes

• Nutrition: The process by which an organism takes food and utilizes it, is called
nutrition.
• Need for Nutrition: Organisms need the energy to perform various activities. The
energy is supplied by the nutrients. Organisms need various raw materials for growth
and repair. These raw materials are provided by nutrients.
• Nutrients: Materials which provide nutrition to organisms are called nutrients.
Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are the main nutrients and are called
macronutrients. Minerals and vitamins are required in small amounts and hence are
called micronutrients.
• Modes of Nutrition
1. Autotrophic Nutrition.
2. Heterotrophic Nutrition.

Autotrophic Nutrition – Life Processes Class 10 Notes

The mode of nutrition in which an organism prepares its own food is called autotrophic nutrition.
Green plants and blue-green algae follow the autotrophic mode of nutrition.

• The organisms which carry out autotrophic nutrition are called autotrophs (green
plants).

• Autotrophic nutrition is fulfilled by the process, by which autotrophs intake CO 2 and

H2O, and convert these into carbohydrates in the presence of chlorophyll, sunlight is
called photosynthesis.
• Equation

Nutrition in Plants: Green plants prepare their own food. They make food in the presence of
sunlight. Sunlight provides energy’, carbon dioxide and water are the raw materials and chloroplast
is the site where food is made.

What is Photosynthesis in biology class 10?

Photosynthesis: The process by which green plants prepare food is called photosynthesis.
 • During this process, the solar energy is converted into chemical energy and
carbohydrates are formed.
• Green leaves are the main site of photosynthesis.
• The green portion of the plant contains a pigment chloroplast, chlorophyll (green
pigment).
• The whole process of photosynthesis can be shown by the following equation:

Raw Materials for Photosynthesis:

• Sunlight
• Chlorophyll: Sunlight absorbed by chloroplast
• CO2: Enters through stomata, and oxygen (O2) is released as a byproduct through
stomata on the leaf.
• Water: Water + dissolved minerals like nitrogen, phosphorous etc., are taken up by the
roots from the soil.

How do raw materials for photosynthesis become available to the plant?

• Water comes from the soil, through the xylem tissue in roots and stems.
• Carbon dioxide comes in the leaves through stomata.

Stomata Diagram Class 10

Site of Photosynthesis: Chloroplast in the leaf. Chloroplast contains chlorophyll (green pigment)

Main Events of Photosynthesis:

• Absorption of light energy by chlorophyll.

• Conversion of light energy into chemical energy + splitting (breaking) of water into
hydrogen and oxygen.
• Reduction of CO2 to carbohydrates.
• Sunlight activates chlorophyll, which leads to splitting of the water molecule.
• The hydrogen, released by the splitting of a water molecule is utilized for the
reduction of carbon dioxide to produce carbohydrates.
• Oxygen is the by-product of photosynthesis.
• Carbohydrate is subsequently converted into starch and is stored in leaves and other
storage parts.
• The splitting of water molecules is a part of the light reaction.
Other steps are part of the dark reaction during photosynthesis.

Stomata – Life Processes Class 10 Notes

• Stomata: These are tiny pores present in the epidermis of leaf or stem through which
gaseous exchange and transpiration occur.

Functions of stomata

• Exchange of gases, O2 and CO2.

• Loses a large amount of water (water vapour) during transpiration.

Opening and closing of stomatal pores:

• The opening and closing of stomatal pores are controlled by the turgidity of guard
cells.
• When guard cells uptake water from surrounding cells, they swell to become a turgid
body, which enlarges the pore in between (Stomatal Opening).
 • While, when water is released, they become flaccid shrinking to close the pore
(Stomatal Closing).

Significance of Photosynthesis:

• Photosynthesis is the main way through which solar energy is made available for
different living beings.
• Green plants are the main producers of food in the ecosystem. All other organisms
directly or indirectly depend on green plants for food.
• The process of photosynthesis also helps in maintaining the balance of carbon
dioxide and oxygen in the air.

Heterotrophic Nutrition – Life Processes Class 10 Notes

The mode of nutrition in which an organism takes food from another organism is called
heterotrophic nutrition. Organisms, other than green plants and blue-green algae follow the
heterotrophic mode of nutrition. Heterotrophic nutrition can be further divided into three types, viz.
saprophytic nutrition, holozoic nutrition, and parasitic.

• Saprophytic Nutrition: In saprophytic nutrition, the organism secretes the digestive

juices on the food. The food is digested while it is still to be ingested. The digested
food is then ingested by the organism. All the decomposers follow saprophytic
nutrition. Some insects, like houseflies, also follow this mode of nutrition.
• Holozoic Nutrition: In holozoic nutrition, the digestion happens inside the body of the
organism. i.e., after the food is ingested. Most of the animals follow this mode of
nutrition.
• Parasitic Nutrition: The organism which lives inside or outside another organism
(host) and derives nutrition from it is known as parasites and this type of mode of
nutrition is called parasitic nutrition. For example Cuscuta, tick etc.

Nutrition in Amoeba

• Amoeba is a unicellular animal which follows the holozoic mode of nutrition.

• In holozoic nutrition, the digestion of food follows after the ingestion of food. Thus,
digestion takes place inside the body of the organism.
 • Holozoic nutrition happens in five steps, viz. ingestion, digestion, absorption,
assimilation and egestion.

Steps of Holozoic Nutrition:

• Ingestion: The process of taking in the food is called ingestion.

• Digestion: The process of breaking complex food substances into simple molecules
is called digestion. Simple molecules, thus obtained, can be absorbed by the body.
• Absorption: The process of absorption of digested food is called absorption.
• Assimilation: The process of utilization of digested food, for energy and for growth
and repair is called assimilation.
• Egestion: The process of removing undigested food from the body is called egestion.

Amoeba is a unicellular animal which follows the holozoic mode of nutrition. The cell membrane
of amoeba keeps on protruding into pseudopodia. Amoeba surrounds a food particle with
pseudopodia and makes a food vacuole. The food vacuole contains food particle and water.
Digestive enzymes are secreted in the food vacuole and digestion takes place. After that, digested
food is absorbed from the food vacuole. Finally, the food vacuole moves near the cell membrane
and undigested food is expelled out.

Nutrition in Human Beings – Life Processes Class 10 Notes

Human beings are complex animals, which have a complex digestive system. The human
digestive system is composed of an alimentary canal and some accessory glands. The alimentary
canal is divided into several parts, like oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine,
rectum and anus. Salivary gland, liver and pancreas are the accessory glands which lie outside the
alimentary canal.

Structure of the Human Digestive System:

The human digestive system comprises of the alimentary canal and associated digestive glands.
 • Alimentary Canal: It comprises of mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine and
large intestine.
• Associated Glands: Main associated glands are
• Salivary gland
• Gastric Glands
• Liver
• Pancreas

Mouth or Buccal Cavity:

• The mouth has teeth and tongue. Salivary glands are also present in the mouth.
• The tongue has gustatory receptors which perceive the sense of taste.
• The tongue helps in turning over the food so that saliva can be properly mixed in it.
• Teeth help in breaking down the food into smaller particles so that, swallowing of
food becomes easier.
• There are four types of teeth in human beings. The incisor teeth are used for cutting
the food.
• The canine teeth are used for tearing the food and for cracking hard substances.
• The premolars are used for the coarse grinding of food. The molars are used for fine
grinding of food.

Salivary glands secrete saliva: Saliva makes the food slippery which makes it easy to swallow the
food. Saliva also contains the enzyme salivary amylase or ptyalin. Salivary amylase digests starch
and converts it into sucrose, (maltose).

Oesophagus: Taking food from mouth to stomach by Peristaltic movement.

Peristaltic movement: Rhythmic contraction of muscles of the lining of the alimentary canal to
push the food forward.

Stomach

• Stomach is a bag-like organ. Highly muscular walls of the stomach help in churning
the food.
• The walls of the stomach secrete hydrochloric acid. Hydrochloric acid kills the germs
which may be present in food.
• Moreover, it makes the medium inside the stomach as acidic. The acidic medium is
necessary for gastric enzymes to work.
• The enzyme pepsin, secreted in the stomach, does partial digestion of protein.
• The mucus, secreted by the walls of the stomach saves the inner lining of the
stomach from getting damaged from hydrochloric acid.

Small Intestine: It is a highly coiled tube-like structure. The small intestine is longer than the large
intestine but its lumen is smaller than that of the large intestine. The small intestine is divided into
three parts, like duodenum, jejunum and ileum.
Liver: Liver is the largest organ in the human body. The liver manufactures bile, which gets stored
in the gall bladder. From the gall bladder, bile is released as and when required.

Pancreas: Pancreas is situated below the stomach. It secretes pancreatic juice which contains
many digestive enzymes.

Bile and pancreatic juice go to the duodenum through a hepatopancreatic duct. Bile breaks down
fat into smaller particles. This process is called emulsification of fat. After that, the enzyme lipase
digests fat into fatty acids and glycerol. Trypsin and chymotrypsin are enzymes which digest
protein into amino acids. Complex carbohydrates are digested into glucose. The major part of
digestion takes place in the duodenum.

No digestion takes place in the jejunum: The inner wall in the ileum is projected into numerous
finger-like structures, called villi. Villi increase the surface area inside the ileum so that optimum
absorption can take place. Moreover, villi also reduce the lumen of the ileum so that food can stay
for a longer duration in it, for optimum absorption. Digested food is absorbed by villi.

Large Intestine:

• Large intestine is smaller than the small intestine.

• Undigested food goes into the large intestine.
• Some water and salt are absorbed by the walls of the large intestine. After that, the
undigested food goes to the rectum, from where it is expelled out through the anus.
• Large Intestine bbsorb excess of water. The rest of the material is removed from the
body via the anus. (Egestion).

Respiration – Life Processes Class 10 Notes

Types of respiration, aerobic and anaerobic respiration, human respiratory system, respiration in
plants.

Respiration: The process by which a living being utilises the food to get energy, is called
respiration. Respiration is an oxidation reaction in which carbohydrate is oxidized to produce
energy. Mitochondria is the site of respiration and the energy released is stored in the form of ATP
(adenosine triphosphate). ATP is stored in mitochondria and is released as per need.
Steps of respiration:
• Breaking down of glucose into pyruvate: This step happens in the cytoplasm.
Glucose molecule is broken down into pyruvic acid. Glucose molecule is composed of
6 carbon atoms, while pyruvic acid is composed of 3 carbon atoms.
• Fate of Pyruvic Acid: Further breaking down of pyruvic acid takes place in
mitochondria and the molecules formed depend on the type of respiration in a
particular organism. Respiration is of two types, viz. aerobic respiration and anaerobic
respiration.
• Respiration involves
• Gaseous exchange: Intake of oxygen from the atmosphere and release of
CO2 → Breathing.
• Breakdown of simple food in order to release energy inside the cell →
Cellular respiration

Human Respiratory System Diagram Class 10

Types of Respiration – Life Processes Class 10 Notes

• Aerobic respiration: This type of respiration happens in the presence of oxygen.
Pyruvic acid is converted into carbon dioxide. Energy is released and water molecule
is also formed at the end of this process.
• Anaerobic respiration: This type of respiration happens in the absence of oxygen.
Pyruvic acid is either converted into ethyl alcohol or lactic acid. Ethyl alcohol is usually
formed in case of anaerobic respiration in microbes, like yeast or bacteria. Lactic acid
is formed in some microbes as well as in the muscle cells.
• Glucose (6 carbon molecule) → Pyruvate (3 carbon molecules) + Energy
• Pyruvate (In yeast, lack of O2) → Ethyl alcohol + Carbon dioxide + Energy
• Pyruvate (In muscles, lack of O2) → Lactic Acid + Energy
• Pyruvate (In mitochondria; the presence of O2) → Carbon dioxide + Water
+ Energy

The equations for the above reactions can be written as follows:

Pain in leg muscles while running:

• When someone runs too fast, he may experience throbbing pain in the leg muscles.
This happens because of anaerobic respiration taking place in the muscles.
• During running, the energy demand from the muscle cells increases. This is
compensated by anaerobic respiration and lactic acid is formed in the process.
• The deposition of lactic acid causes pain in the leg muscles. The pain subsides after
taking rest for some time.

Exchange of gases:

• For aerobic respiration, organisms need a continuous supply of oxygen, and carbon
dioxide produced during the process needs to be removed from the body.
• Different organisms use different methods for the intake of oxygen and expulsion of
carbon dioxide.
• Diffusion is the method which is utilized by unicellular and some simple organisms
for this purpose.
• In plants also, diffusion is utilized for exchange of gases.
• In complex animals, respiratory system does the job of exchange of gases.
• Gills are the respiratory organs for fishes. Fishes take in oxygen which is dissolved in
water through gills.
• Since, availability of oxygen is less in the aquatic environment, so the breathing rate of
aquatic organisms is faster.
• Insects have a system of spiracles and trachease which is used for taking in oxygen.
• Terrestrial organisms have developed lungs for exchange of gases.
• Availability of oxygen is not a problem in the terrestrial environment so breathing rate
is slower as compared to what it is in fishes.
Terrestrial organisms: Use atmospheric oxygen for respiration.
Aquatic organisms: Use dissolve oxygen for respiration.