Discuss the six basic life processes and your own example for each.
- Differentiation - it is the specialization of dividing cells/stem cells into future cells with distinct functions. Example - differentiation of osteoblasts to osteocytes.
- Growth - pertains to the increase in body volume due to the division or growth of cells. For example - when we were just zygotes, we grew into an embryo primarily by the division of cells, then we grew into a fetus by division and growth of cells.
- Metabolism - Simply refers to the chemical changes a cell/organism undergoes. It can either be catabolism - the breakdown of larger substances, or anabolism - the formation of complex substances from smaller and simpler components. Example - Catabolism of glucose to ATP. Anabolism of glucose molecules to glycogen which will then be stored in the liver.
- Movement - pertains to the ability of individual cells, groups of cells, and the whole organism to perform the motion. Example - coordinated movement when we swim. Another example - is when the sperm swims in the uterus.
- Reproduction - this is the ability of an organism/cell to reproduce a new individual or perform tissue repair, replacement, and growth. Reproduction can occur by mitosis, the resulting cells retain the number of chromosomes as the parent. The other one is meiosis, where the resulting chromosomes of the daughter cells are half of the parent’s chromosomes.
- Responsiveness - the ability of the body to react to a certain external or internal stimulus. Example - for external stimulus, say you accidentally touch a boiling pot, the immediate reaction of the body is to take off the contact with the pot. For another example, hunger is an internal stimulus. The body tells you to search for food when you feel hunger.