Life Processes Ms. Chicherchia

Nutrition – -nutrients: substances that an organism needs for energy, growth, repair, maintenance. -autotroph: organism that can make its own food -heterotroph: organism that can not make its own food -ingestion: -digestion:

Transport – the process by which substances enter and leave cells and become distributed within the cells. - Small, simple organisms: -Larger, multicellular organisms: most cells are not in direct contact with the external environment.

Respiration – Respiration is a series of reactions that breaks down sugar or another food substance to produce water and carbon dioxide. -aerobic respiration: -anaerobic respiration:

Synthesis – -assimilation: the incorporation of materials into the organism’s body Growth – -cellular specialization: different cells becoming specialized for different functions. Excretion –

Regulation – all the activities that help to maintain an organism’s homeostasis. In animals, the nervous system and endocrine system are involved in the process of regulation. The nervous system carries messages in the form of nerve impulses. The endocrine system produces hormones. -hormones: Reproduction – the process by which living things produce new organisms of their own kind. -asexual reproduction: -sexual reproduction:

Metabolism – -it includes the processes that build complex substances from simpler ones and processes that break down complex substances into simpler ones. -Also involves the continuous release and use of energy. -Many biologist consider metabolic activity to be the single most important life process!!!!