Activity 3. Basic Life Processes
Discuss the six basic life processes and your own example for each.
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Metabolism refers to all chemical reactions and processes occurring within a living organism to sustain life. It is a process by which the body converts food into energy. It is divided into two types: Catabolism is the breakdown of complex molecules. Anabolism, on the other hand, is the synthesis of complex molecules from simpler ones. Metabolism also serves as an energy-balancer between catabolic and anabolic reactions. Example: digestion of food. When sugar is consumed, the body converts it into energy/fuel absorbable by the body for the body (sugar metabolism)
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Responsiveness - it is the body’s ability to sense changes and adjust to stimulus, be it internal or external, while maintaining life. Example: fever when the body tries to kill off pathogens, sweating in a hot environment
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Movement - refers to the motion of the body, organs, and even cells and the tiny structures inside it. Example: when white blood cells move to repair damage and to respond to illness by attacking the foreign organism in the body. Peristalsis.
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Growth - it is the increase in size and number of cells. Example: growing of hair and fingernails
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Differentiation - development of unspecialized cells to specialized cells with a distinct function. Example: development of stem cells to brain and nerve cells. Stem cells are also used in stem cell transplants where it replace cells damaged by cancer
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Reproduction - refers to the formation of new cells or production of new individuals. Example: mitosis of skin cells, multiplication of cancer cells, human reproduction