Discuss the six basic life processes and your own example for each.
The first basic life process is Metabolism, the sum of all chemical processes occurring in the human body. An example of this is the process of making and breaking down glucose to transform food consumed to energy. The second life process indicates the body’s capability to detect then respond to stimulus, which is Responsiveness. This may either be external (e.g when the shower temperature is too hot our body tends to be shocked) or internal (e.g. feeling hungry when one has not eaten for awhile). The third is Movement or the motion of the whole body, individual organs, single cells, and even tiny structures inside cells. An example is the movement and coordination of our fingers when the computer keyboard is used. The fourth life process is the increase in body size which is from either an existing cells’ increase in size or number, or both, which is referred to as Growth. An example of growth in the body would be one’s height increase as they grow older. Differentiation, the development of a cell from its unspecialized to specialized state, is also a basic life process. For example, cells that undergo differentiation may become either skin, muscle, blood, or nerve cells. Lastly, Reproduction is the basic life process that refers either to the formation of new cells for tissue growth, repair, or replacement, or even the production of a new individual. In humans, sexual reproduction or when sperm from the male fertilizes an egg from the female, is utilized to produce an offspring.