Discuss the six basic life processes and your own example for each.
1. Metabolism
- This is the overall sum of the chemical activities that occur in the body. Here, there is catabolism, which is when complex chemical substances break down into simpler components. An example of this would be digesting meat into simpler nutrients like protein. In contrast, anabolism is when complex chemical substances are produced from simpler components. For instance, excess glucose can be turned into glycogen through the use of insulin.
2. Responsiveness
- This can be described as the body’s ability to detect and respond to changes or stimuli. The stimuli may be from the environment outside the body (external) or from inside the body (internal). A demonstration of external stimulus would be when people remove their hands from a hot pot when it is touched. Meanwhile, internal stimuli can be seen with ureagenesis when blood pH becomes too high.
3. Movement
- This is the general motion of the cellular structures, single cells themselves, organs, and the whole body. For cells, an example of motion is the process of phagocytosis, which is observed within cells like macrophages when they eliminate microorganisms. For organs, a demonstration would be when blood vessels dilate whenever there is an increase in body heat. Lastly, gross bodily movement can be seen with something as simple as the coordinated movement of the upper limbs when throwing a ball.
4. Growth
- This can be referred to as the increase in the size of the body when there is an increase in the number of cells, an increase in the size of existing cells, or both. This can be seen with bodybuilders when they exercise enough so that their muscles can grow.
5. Differentiation
- This is defined as the transformation of an unspecialized cell into a specialized cell. This can happen because of precursor cells, known as stem cells, that can turn into various cells with their own functions. For example, bone marrow transplants can be a treatment against blood disorders as bone marrow produces stem cells that can differentiate into different blood components.
6. Reproduction
- This can be characterized by the formation of new cells for tissue growth, repair, or replacement, and is most well known for its aspect to produce offspring. This is done through cellular division, which can be categorized into mitosis (division of somatic cells) and meiosis (division of sex cells). A common application of mitosis is when the skin is scratched, which prompts cells to divide for tissue repair. Lastly, meiosis is seen with oogenesis and spermatogenesis.