Activity 3. Basic Life Processes

PAREJA, Austine Dave F. - Activity 3

PAREJA, Austine Dave F. - Activity 3

by Austine Dave Pareja -
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  1. Metabolism pertains to the sum of all the chemical processes that happen within our body. This has two parts, which are catabolism and anabolism. In catabolism, complex chemical substances are broken down into simpler components. This process is observed in digestion, as the large food molecules are broken down into simpler molecules like how proteins are turned into amino acids. On the contrary, in anabolism, smaller and simpler components are built up together in order to form complex chemical substances. When fats build up from fatty acids and glycerol, anabolism is utilized since fats consist of glycerol and three fatty acids. Hence, when the fatty acids are attached to a glycerol molecule, a fat molecule is synthesized. 

 

  1. Responsiveness is the ability of our body to determine and respond to changes or stimuli. An example would be our response when we are pricked by a needle or something sharp. Since our body detects pain, its response would be removing the pained body part from the source of pain.

 

  1. Movement denotes the motion of our body - whether it is the whole body, individual organs, single cells, or the tiny structures inside the cells. An example of movement would be observed in the molecules of the cell. Some molecules in our cell move in and out of the cell in order to perform their specific functions. In active transport, the molecules move across a cell membrane against the concentration gradient. 

 

  1. Growth is the increase in the size of a body which could be due to the enlargement of the existing cells, the increase in the number of the existing cells, or both. With that being said, an example would be the increase in the size of the muscles. This happens when there is an increase in the size of muscle cells as they fix damaged muscles by fusing them together. This can be observed in the people who work out their muscles. 

 

  1. Differentiation is the development of a cell from being an unspecialized cell to a specialized one. An example would be the development of unspecialized cells in umbilical cord blood, which are stem cells that could develop to being red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.

 

  1. Reproduction pertains to the formation of new cells for tissue growth, repair, or replacement, or to the production of a new individual. Since tissue repair is considered reproduction, an example that exhibits this basic life process would be the formation of cells to repair wounded skin. When we have a wound on our skin, it will most likely be inflamed, which is a mechanism of removal of injured tissues and other substances. Afterward, the cells will regenerate in order to replace the lost injured tissues. That is also the reason for scarring.