Life Processes: Movement and Respiration

• Life processes are the series of actions that are essential to determine if an entity is living

Movement

• Movement as a life process refers to an organism's ability to change position or location, or to move internal components.
• Locomotion is the movement resulting in a change of position.
• Animals show locomotion for reasons such as searching for food, escaping from predators, and finding mates.
• Plants show movement by growing towards sunlight or water, and by opening and closing their flowers.

Respiration

• Respiration is how living organisms produce energy from food.
• Aerobic respiration uses oxygen to break down glucose into carbon dioxide and water, releasing energy.
• Anaerobic respiration breaks down glucose without using oxygen, producing less energy and byproducts like lactic acid or ethanol.
• Respiration is essential for all life processes because it provides the energy needed for growth, movement, and other activities.

Sensitivity

• Sensitivity is an organism's ability to detect and respond to changes in its internal or external environment.
• Stimuli can be physical, such as light, temperature, and pressure, or chemical, such as odors and tastes.
• Responses range from simple reflexes to complex learned behaviors.
• Sensitivity is crucial for survival as it allows organisms to avoid danger, find food, and maintain a stable internal environment.

Growth

• Growth is the process of increasing in size and complexity.
• In unicellular organisms, growth is primarily an increase in cell size.
• In multicellular organisms, growth involves both an increase in cell size and an increase in the number of cells.
• Growth requires the synthesis of new proteins and other organic molecules.

Reproduction

• Reproduction is how living organisms produce new individuals of their own kind.
• Asexual reproduction involves a single parent and produces offspring genetically identical to the parent.
• Sexual reproduction involves two parents resulting in offspring genetically different from the parents.
• Reproduction is essential for the continuation of a species.

Excretion

• Excretion is the process of removing waste products from the body.
• Metabolic wastes include carbon dioxide, urea, and excess water.
• Different organisms have different excretory organs, such as kidneys, lungs, and skin.
• Excretion is important for maintaining a stable internal environment.

Nutrition

• Nutrition is the process of obtaining and using food.
• Autotrophs produce their own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.
• Heterotrophs obtain food by consuming other organisms.
• Nutrients are substances that provide energy or are needed for growth and repair.
• A balanced diet contains the right amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals.

An exploration of essential life processes: movement and respiration. Movement involves changing position, while respiration generates energy from food. Aerobic respiration uses oxygen; anaerobic does not.