Activity 3
(Basic Life Processes)
Discuss the basic life processes and your own example for each.
- METABOLISM
- Is the sum of all the chemical processes that occur in the body. It has 2 categories: 1) Catabolism which is the breakdown of complex chemical substances into simpler components, and 2) Anabolism which is the building up of complex chemical substances from smaller, simpler components.
- Examples: (Catabolism) lipids are broken down to produce energy (Anabolism) insulin serves to encourage the synthesis of carbohydrate, fat and protein.
- RESPONSIVENESS
- It is the body’s ability to detect and respond to changes or stimuli. It may be external, which is a response from the environment outside the body, or internal, which is the response from inside the body.
- Examples: (External) Crying after watching a sad movie. (Internal) Having a fever when there is a disruption of the homeostasis in the body.
- MOVEMENT
- It refers to the motion of the whole body, individual organs, single cells, and even tiny structures inside cells.
- Example: Right ventricle pumps blood to the lungs.
- GROWTH
- Is an increase in body size that results from an increase in the size of existing cells, an increase in the number of cells, or both.
- Example: During puberty, the secondary sexual organ (i.e., breast) of females, grow/increase in size.
- DIFFERENTIATION
- Is the development of a cell from an unspecialized to a specialized state.
- Example: Stem cell differentiating to a neuron.
- REPRODUCTION
- It refers to either 1) the formation of new cells for tissue growth, repair, or replacement (example: mitosis), or 2) the production of a new individual (example: fertilization).
Reference:
Tortora, G. J., & Derrickson, B. (2012). Principles of anatomy and physiology. (13th ed.). John Wiley &
Sons, Inc.