Activity 3. Basic Life Processes

FADUL, Gianella Adeia P. - Activity 3

FADUL, Gianella Adeia P. - Activity 3

by Gianella Adeia Fadul -
Number of replies: 0

Discuss the six basic life processes and your own example for each.

  • Metabolism – sum of all the chemical processes that occur in the body
    • Catabolism – breakdown of complex chemical substances into simpler components (digestion wherein large molecules of sugar are broken down to simpler forms like glucose and fructose)
      • Example: Lipolysis is the metabolic process through which triacylglycerols (TAGs) break down via hydrolysis into their constituent molecules: glycerol and free fatty acids (FFAs). 
    • Anabolism – building up of complex chemical substances from smaller, simpler components
      • Example: Gluceneogenesis where glucose molecules are produces from non-carbohydrate sources. This process usually occurs in the liver and kidneys.
  • Responsiveness – the body’s ability to detect and respond to changes or stimulus (can be external or internal)
    • Example: When your body reacts to the medications you take
  • Movement – includes motion of the whole body, individual organs, single cells, and even tiny structures inside cells
    • Example: Exercising or doing household chores
  • Growth – increase in body size that results from an increase in the size of existing cells, an increase in the number of cells, or both
    • Example: Hair growth
  • Differentiation – the development of a cell from an unspecialized to a specialized state
    • Example: When a stem cell develops into a muscle cell
  • Reproduction – refers either to the formation of new cells for tissue growth, repair, or replacement, or to the production of a new individual
    • Example: Meiosis