Chapter 6 – Life Processes

1) Explain the operation behind the glomerulus inside the kidney.

Ans – Similar to Bowman’s capsule, the Glomerulus is a network of capillaries inside the cup. Blood enters the glomerulus through the afferent arteriole by pumping the blood from the renal artery & takes care of sending unwanted elements to the kidney. It eliminates all the excess liver salts, urea, glucose, yellow bile components, water & the end products with nitrogen-based protein.

2) List the differences between arteries and veins.

Ans – Here are the major differences between arteries & veins.

Arteries	Veins
Arteries can send blood away from the heart.	Veins can pump blood to the heart.
Arteries have thin walls.	Veins have a sturdy wall.
Arteries have a narrow lumen.	Lumen is wide in veins.
Arteries have high-pressure	Veins have low-pressure
Arteries have oxygenated blood.	Veins got deoxygenated blood.

3) How does aerobic respiration vary from anaerobic respiration?

Ans – Check out the contrast elements between aerobic & anaerobic respiration.

Aerobic respiration	Anaerobic respiration
Happens in the presence of oxygen.	It takes place without oxygen.
Occurs in the cytoplasm & mitochondria.	Occurs in the cytoplasm.
In aerobic respiration, glucose completely dissolves.	In anaerobic respiration, glucose breaks down partially.
In aerobic respiration, the final products would be CO2  & H2O.	Meanwhile, the final products are CO2 & ethyl alcohol/lactic acid.

4) Why forceful expiration doesn’t collapse the lungs?

Ans – During forceful expiration, the lungs won’t collapse since there is a residual air volume inside the lungs even after the compelling expiration.

5) What’s your take on: “If there’s no algae, the ocean wouldn’t have any fish species!”

Ans – In the aquatic arena, the algae are responsible for creating oxygen via photosynthesis. Fishes use this oxygen for breathing in the sea. Hence, without algae, fishes would die.

6) Why diffusion won’t be enough to accomplish the human body’s oxygen demand?

Ans – Diffusion alone is insufficient to accomplish the human body’s oxygen demands due to the massive size & complex structure of the human body. The high metabolic demand of its cells is also a vital reason. Rather, the human body relies on an advanced circulatory system, where hemoglobin in RBC binds oxygen in the lungs & transports rapidly via the bloodstream towards your tissues.

7) Define translocation. Why do plants require it the most?

Ans – Translocation in plants means the change of organic compounds such as the products of photosynthesis like sugars (e.g., sucrose) from the leaf region (where they are produced) to different parts of the plant.

Translocation is vital for distributing & storing the sugars and other nutrients synthesized during photosynthesis to various plant regions, including roots, stems, flowers & ripening fruits.

8) What is “Lymph”? Why is it important?

Ans – Lymph is a clear to slightly yellowish fluid circulating through the lymphatic system, filling the gap inside the tissues between the cell structures.

Its functions include the following –

• Lymph piles up excess interstitial liquid from tissues & sends it back to the bloodstream.
• Lymph capillaries in the intestinal villi, or lacteals assist in fat suction.
• The lymph gathers Co2, metabolites & excretion from the tissue via tissue fluid.

9) How does water enter the root xylem of plants concurrently?

Ans – Water often enters the root xylem of plants due to root pressure & transpiration pull. Root pressure is created by the active transport of ions into the root cells, building a hypertonic environment that draws water in via osmosis.

This pressure pushes water upwards into the xylem. Concurrently, the water vapor loss from the leaves creates a negative pressure or tension in the leaf cells by pulling water upward from the roots through the xylem to replace the lost water.

Together, these mechanisms drive the concurrent uptake & water transport from the soil into the root xylem, ensuring a steady water supply to the entire plant.

10) What is “double circulation” in humans? What’s the need for it?

Ans – Double circulation in humans refers to blood circulation through 2 separate circuits: Pulmonary & Systemic circulation. In pulmonary circulation, deoxygenated blood is pumped from the heart to the lungs to pick up oxygen & release carbon dioxide. The oxygenated blood then returns to the heart.

In systemic circulation, oxygenated blood is pumped from the heart to the rest of the body to deploy oxygen & nutrients for removing waste products. The deoxygenated blood returns to the heart for pumping towards the lungs again.

Double circulation is vital as it ensures that oxygen-rich blood is skillfully distributed to various tissues & organs while keeping oxygen-poor blood separate, optimizing oxygen delivery & metabolic function in your body.