Discuss the six basic life processes and your own example for each.
The six basic life processes are metabolism, responsiveness, movement, growth, differentiation, and reproduction. First, Metabolism is essentially the sum of all the chemical processes that occur as the body converts food into energy. There are two phases of metabolism: catabolism which is the process of breaking down complex matter into simpler components, and anabolism which is the opposite where complex substances are created from simpler substances. An example of metabolism would be burning calories after an exercise.
Second, responsiveness is the ability of the body to detect stimuli and respond to them. The stimuli that the body recognizes and reacts to can be either external or internal stimuli. External stimuli happen outside of the body while internal stimuli happen within the body. An example of the body responding to external stimuli is when the eye blinks when dirt is thrown at it. For internal stimuli, an example would be the stomach growling when the body senses hunger.
Third, movement refers to a motion that is not limited to the whole body but also includes individual organs, single cells, and even tiny structures inside cells. Examples include running, heart pumping blood, and platelet clotting.
Fourth, an increase in size in the body is called growth. It is caused by the expansion of cells in size or in number. An example of growth would be the hair growing longer as the cells in the root increase over time.
Fifth, differentiation refers to cells that experience going from an unspecialized state to a more specialized state. For example, the development of a human being from being an to being an adult.
Lastly, reproduction is the formation of new cells or individuals. This process can be seen when sperm cells fertilize egg cells to form a zygote which eventually becomes a baby.