The following are the six basic life processes, as well as their respective descriptions and examples:
1) Metabolism
-It is the overall chemical processes the occur in the body. It may be categorized as catabolism (break down of complex to simple components) or anabolism (build up from simple to complex components).
-eg. catabolism: intense, strenuous exercise leads to the break-down of excess body fats; anabolism: gluconeogenesis (the process of the kidneys and liver producing glucose from non-carbohydrate sources)
2) Responsiveness
-The body's ability to detect and respond to external or internal stimuli.
-eg. external: hearing your mother shout "GISING NA! TANGHALI NA!"; internal: immune cells launching an immune response against rhinovirus, the causative agent for common colds.
3) Movement
-It refers to the motion of the entire body, individual organs, single cells, or structures inside the cell.
-eg. running away from the flying cockroach; the cilia of the simple columnar epithelium tissues of the small intestine brushing across the chemically digested particles
4) Growth
-This is an increase of body size resulting to the increase in size of cells, increase in number of cells, or both.
-eg. becoming a few inches taller now compared to 4 years ago
5) Differentiation
-This is the process where cells mature and develop into specialized cells with specific functions.
-eg. a stem cell gaining calcium deposits and minerals to specialize into the osteocytes of the bones
6) Reproduction
-It refers either to the formation of new cells for tissue growth, repair, and replacement, or to the production of a new individual
-eg. mitosis: skin cells divide to replace worn out the dead layer of skin; meiosis: the sperm cell of the father fertilizes the egg cell of the mother to create a zygote