 Nutrition: The process by which an organism takes food and utilizes it,

is called nutrition.
 Need for Nutrition: Organisms need the energy to perform various
activities. The energy is supplied by the nutrients. Organisms need
various raw materials for growth and repair. These raw materials are
provided by nutrients.
 Nutrients: Materials which provide nutrition to organisms are called
nutrients. Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are the main nutrients and
are called macronutrients. Minerals and vitamins are required in small
amounts and hence are called micronutrients.
 Modes of Nutrition
1. Autotrophic Nutrition.
2. Heterotrophic Nutrition.

Autotrophic Nutrition – Life Processes Class 10 Notes

The mode of nutrition in which an organism prepares its own food is called
autotrophic nutrition. Green plants and blue-green algae follow the autotrophic mode
of nutrition.

 The organisms which carry out autotrophic nutrition are called

autotrophs (green plants).

 Autotrophic nutrition is fulfilled by the process, by which autotrophs

intake CO2 and H2O, and convert these into carbohydrates in the
presence of chlorophyll, sunlight is called photosynthesis.
 Equation

Nutrition in Plants: Green plants prepare their own food. They make food in the
presence of sunlight. Sunlight provides energy’, carbon dioxide and water are the raw
materials and chloroplast is the site where food is made.

What is Photosynthesis in biology class 10?

Photosynthesis: The process by which green plants prepare food is called
photosynthesis.

 During this process, the solar energy is converted into chemical energy
and carbohydrates are formed.
 Green leaves are the main site of photosynthesis.
 The green portion of the plant contains a pigment chloroplast,
chlorophyll (green pigment).
 The whole process of photosynthesis can be shown by the following
equation:

Raw Materials for Photosynthesis:

 Sunlight
 Chlorophyll: Sunlight absorbed by chloroplast
 CO2: Enters through stomata, and oxygen (O2) is released as a by
product through stomata on the leaf.
 Water: Water + dissolved minerals like nitrogen, phosphorous etc., are
taken up by the roots from the soil.

How do raw materials for photosynthesis become available to the plant?

 Water comes from the soil, through the xylem tissue in roots and stems.
 Carbon dioxide comes in the leaves through stomata.

Site of Photosynthesis: Chloroplast in the leaf. Chloroplast contains chlorophyll

(green pigment)

Main Events of Photosynthesis:

 Absorption of light energy by chlorophyll.

 Conversion of light energy into chemical energy + splitting (breaking) of
water into hydrogen and oxygen.
 Reduction of CO2 to carbohydrates.
 Sunlight activates chlorophyll, which leads to splitting of the water
molecule.
 The hydrogen, released by the splitting of a water molecule is utilized for
the reduction of carbon dioxide to produce carbohydrates.
 Oxygen is the by-product of photosynthesis.
 Carbohydrate is subsequently converted into starch and is stored in
leaves and other storage parts.
 The splitting of water molecules is a part of the light reaction.
Other steps are part of the dark reaction during photosynthesis.

Stomata – Life Processes Class 10 Notes

 Stomata: These are tiny pores present in the epidermis of leaf or stem
through which gaseous exchange and transpiration occur.

Functions of stomata

 Exchange of gases, O2 and CO2.

 Loses a large amount of water (water vapour) during transpiration.

Opening and closing of stomatal pores:

 The opening and closing of stomatal pores are controlled by the

turgidity of guard cells.
  When guard cells uptake water from surrounding cells, they swell to
become a turgid body, which enlarges the pore in between (Stomatal
Opening).
 While, when water is released, they become flaccid shrinking to close
the pore (Stomatal Closing).

Significance of Photosynthesis:

 Photosynthesis is the main way through which solar energy is made

available for different living beings.
 Green plants are the main producers of food in the ecosystem. All other
organisms directly or indirectly depend on green plants for food.
 The process of photosynthesis also helps in maintaining the balance of
carbon dioxide and oxygen in the air.

Heterotrophic Nutrition – Life Processes Class 10 Notes

The mode of nutrition in which an organism takes food from another organism is
called heterotrophic nutrition. Organisms, other than green plants and blue-green
algae follow the heterotrophic mode of nutrition. Heterotrophic nutrition can be
further divided into three types, viz. saprophytic nutrition, holozoic nutrition, and
parasitic.

 Saprophytic Nutrition: In saprophytic nutrition, the organism secretes

the digestive juices on the food. The food is digested while it is still to
be ingested. The digested food is then ingested by the organism. All the
decomposers follow saprophytic nutrition. Some insects, like houseflies,
also follow this mode of nutrition.
 Holozoic Nutrition: In holozoic nutrition, the digestion happens inside
the body of the organism. i.e., after the food is ingested. Most of the
animals follow this mode of nutrition.
 Parasitic Nutrition: The organism which lives inside or outside another
organism (host) and derives nutrition from it is known as parasites and
this type of mode of nutrition is called parasitic nutrition. For example
Cuscuta, tick etc.
Nutrition in Amoeba

 Amoeba is a unicellular animal which follows the holozoic mode of

nutrition.
 In holozoic nutrition, the digestion of food follows after the ingestion of
food. Thus, digestion takes place inside the body of the organism.
 Holozoic nutrition happens in five steps, viz. ingestion, digestion,
absorption, assimilation and egestion.

Steps of Holozoic Nutrition:

 Ingestion: The process of taking in the food is called ingestion.

 Digestion: The process of breaking complex food substances into
simple molecules is called digestion. Simple molecules, thus obtained,
can be absorbed by the body.
 Absorption: The process of absorption of digested food is called
absorption.
 Assimilation: The process of utilization of digested food, for energy and
for growth and repair is called assimilation.
 Egestion: The process of removing undigested food from the body is
called egestion.

Amoeba is a unicellular animal which follows the holozoic mode of nutrition. The cell
membrane of amoeba keeps on protruding into pseudopodia. Amoeba surrounds a
food particle with pseudopodia and makes a food vacuole. The food vacuole
contains food particle and water. Digestive enzymes are secreted in the food
vacuole and digestion takes place. After that, digested food is absorbed from the
food vacuole. Finally, the food vacuole moves near the cell membrane and
undigested food is expelled out.

Nutrition in Human Beings – Life Processes Class 10

Notes
Human beings are complex animals, which have a complex digestive system. The
human digestive system is composed of an alimentary canal and some accessory
glands. The alimentary canal is divided into several parts, like oesophagus, stomach,
small intestine, large intestine, rectum and anus. Salivary gland, liver and pancreas
are the accessory glands which lie outside the alimentary canal.

Structure of the Human Digestive System:

The human digestive system comprises of the alimentary canal and associated
digestive glands.

 Alimentary Canal: It comprises of mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small

intestine and large intestine.
 Associated Glands: Main associated glands are
 Salivary gland
 Gastric Glands
 Liver
 Pancreas

Mouth or Buccal Cavity:

 The mouth has teeth and tongue. Salivary glands are also present in the
mouth.
 The tongue has gustatory receptors which perceive the sense of taste.
 The tongue helps in turning over the food so that saliva can be properly
mixed in it.
 Teeth help in breaking down the food into smaller particles so that,
swallowing of food becomes easier.
 There are four types of teeth in human beings. The incisor teeth are
used for cutting the food.
 The canine teeth are used for tearing the food and for cracking hard
substances.
  The premolars are used for the coarse grinding of food. The molars are
used for fine grinding of food.

Salivary glands secrete saliva: Saliva makes the food slippery which makes it easy
to swallow the food. Saliva also contains the enzyme salivary amylase or ptyalin.
Salivary amylase digests starch and converts it into sucrose, (maltose).

Oesophagus: Taking food from mouth to stomach by Peristaltic movement.

Peristaltic movement: Rhythmic contraction of muscles of the lining of the
alimentary canal to push the food forward.

Stomach

 Stomach is a bag-like organ. Highly muscular walls of the stomach help

in churning the food.
 The walls of the stomach secrete hydrochloric acid. Hydrochloric acid
kills the germs which may be present in food.
 Moreover, it makes the medium inside the stomach as acidic. The acidic
medium is necessary for gastric enzymes to work.
 The enzyme pepsin, secreted in the stomach, does partial digestion of
protein.
 The mucus, secreted by the walls of the stomach saves the inner lining
of the stomach from getting damaged from hydrochloric acid.

Small Intestine: It is a highly coiled tube-like structure. The small intestine is longer
than the large intestine but its lumen is smaller than that of the large intestine. The
small intestine is divided into three parts, like duodenum, jejunum and ileum.

Liver: Liver is the largest organ in the human body. The liver manufactures bile,
which gets stored in the gall bladder. From the gall bladder, bile is released as and
when required.

Pancreas: Pancreas is situated below the stomach. It secretes pancreatic juice

which contains many digestive enzymes.
Bile and pancreatic juice go to the duodenum through a hepatopancreatic duct. Bile
breaks down fat into smaller particles. This process is called emulsification of fat.
After that, the enzyme lipase digests fat into fatty acids and glycerol. Trypsin and
chymotrypsin are enzymes which digest protein into amino acids. Complex
carbohydrates are digested into glucose. The major part of digestion takes place in
the duodenum.

No digestion takes place in the jejunum: The inner wall in the ileum is projected into
numerous finger-like structures, called villi. Villi increase the surface area inside the
ileum so that optimum absorption can take place. Moreover, villi also reduce the
lumen of the ileum so that food can stay for a longer duration in it, for optimum
absorption. Digested food is absorbed by villi.

Large Intestine:

 Large intestine is smaller than the small intestine.

 Undigested food goes into the large intestine.
 Some water and salt are absorbed by the walls of the large intestine.
After that, the undigested food goes to the rectum, from where it is
expelled out through the anus.
 Large Intestine bbsorb excess of water. The rest of the material is
removed from the body via the anus. (Egestion).