Six Life Processes of Humans Flashcards
Metabolism
The sum of all the chemical processes that occur in the body. It includes the breakdown of large, complex molecules into smaller, simpler ones (catabolism) and the building up of complex molecules from smaller, simpler ones (anabolism). For example, food proteins are broken down into amino acids, building blocks that can be used to build new proteins that make up muscles and bones.
Responsiveness
The body’s ability to detect and respond to changes in its internal (inside the body) or external (outside the body) environment. Different cells in the body detect different sorts of changes in the environment by generating electrical signals, known as nerve impulses by contracting, which generates force to move body parts.
Movement
Includes the motion of the whole body, individual organs, single cells, and even structures inside cells. For example, the coordinated action of several muscles and bones enables running. After you eat a meal that contains fats, your gallbladder (an organ) contracts and releases bile into the gastrointestinal tract to help digest them. When a body tissue is damaged or infected, certain white blood cells move from the bloodstream into the affected tissue to help clean up and repair the area. And inside individual cells, various cell structures move from one position to another to carry out their functions.
Growth
An increase in body size. It may be due to an increase in (1) the size of existing cells, (2) the number of cells, or (3) the amount of material surrounding cells.
Differentiation
The process unspecialized cells go through to become specialized cells. Such precursor cells, which can divide and give rise to cells that undergo differentiation, are called stem cells. Specialized cells that differ in structure and function from the unspecialized that gave rise to them. For example, specialized red blood cells and several types of white blood cells differentiate from the same unspecialized cells in red bone marrow. Similarly, a single fertilized human egg cell undergoes tremendous differentiation to develop into a unique individual who is similar to, yet quite different from, wither of his or her parents.
Reproduction
Refers to the formation of new cells through cell division. The production of a new individual occurs through fertilization of an ovum by a sperm cell to form a zygote, followed by repeated cell divisions and the differentiation of these cells.
Six processes of humans
Metabolism Responsiveness Movement Growth Differentiation Reproduction
