Discuss the basic life processes and your own example for each.
There are six (6) primary basic life processes. These life processes set living organisms from non-living ones including;
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Metabolism - the sum of all chemical processes that occur in the body. These include catabolism and anabolism. Catabolism is the breakdown of complex chemical substances into simple components (Example: The breakdown of proteins to amino acids, glycogen to glucose, and triglycerides to fatty acids are some of the catabolic processes). While, anabolism is the building up of complex chemical substances from smaller, simpler components (Example: bone growth, mineralization and muscle mass build-up).
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Responsiveness - this is the body’s ability to detect and respond to changes or stimuli. For example, when we unintentionally touch hot substances, our body responds by reflexively pushing our hands away.
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Movement - includes motion of the whole body, individual organs, single cells, and even tiny structures inside cells. For instance, the movement of red blood cells due to circulation and the flickering of eyes are some examples of this process.
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Growth - this is the increase in body size that results from an increase in the size of existing cells, an increase in the number of cells, or both. An example of this is height. The height of the person grows taller as they get older.
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Differentiation - it is the development of a cell from an unspecialized to a specialized state. One example is our stem cells developed into other cells with specialized functions. It can be muscle cells or blood cells.
- Reproduction - It refers either to the formation of new cells for tissue growth, repair, or replacement or to the production of a new individual. The healing of wounds is one example. For instance, you have injuries because of cuts, scratches, etc. Our cells reproduce in order to restore and heal the injured body part.
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