Class 10 · NCERT Science

Chapter 5

Life Processes

Study nutrition, respiration, transportation, and excretion. Learn the ideas, see how they connect, and practise until you can choose the next step without help.

NutritionRespirationTransport

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Study board

Quick reference
Concept 01Nutrition
Concept 02Respiration
Concept 03Transport

NCERT chapter notes

Life Processes, clearly explained

Life Processes covers the four basic functions that keep an organism alive: nutrition, respiration, transportation, and excretion. The chapter compares how these happen in plants and in humans, with strong emphasis on photosynthesis, aerobic vs anaerobic respiration, double circulation, and the structure of the nephron.

Board questions reward clear comparisons (xylem vs phloem, aerobic vs anaerobic, arteries vs veins) and well-labelled reasoning about why a structure suits its function.

Core concepts

Key concepts and formulae

01

Autotrophic nutrition (photosynthesis)

Green plants make their own food by photosynthesis: 6CO₂ + 6H₂O —(light, chlorophyll)→ C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂. It occurs in chloroplasts and involves absorption of light, conversion of light energy to chemical energy, splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen, and reduction of CO₂ to carbohydrate.

02

Heterotrophic nutrition

Organisms that cannot make their own food take it from outside. Human digestion uses enzymes (salivary amylase, pepsin in acidic stomach, bile and pancreatic juice, intestinal enzymes) to break food down for absorption in the small intestine through villi.

03

Respiration (aerobic vs anaerobic)

Glucose is first broken into pyruvate in the cytoplasm. In aerobic respiration pyruvate is broken in mitochondria into CO₂ and water, releasing much energy (ATP). In anaerobic respiration it forms lactic acid (in our muscles) or ethanol + CO₂ (in yeast), releasing less energy.

04

Human transport: double circulation

Blood passes through the heart twice in one cycle — once as deoxygenated blood to the lungs and once as oxygenated blood to the body. The four-chambered heart keeps oxygenated and deoxygenated blood separate, which suits the high energy needs of warm-blooded animals.

05

Transport in plants

Xylem carries water and minerals upward from roots to leaves, driven mainly by transpiration pull. Phloem carries food (mainly sucrose) from leaves to other parts (translocation), a process that uses energy (ATP).

06

Excretion: the nephron

The kidney filters blood through units called nephrons. Urine forms by filtration of blood at the glomerulus, selective reabsorption of useful substances (glucose, some water, salts), and removal of wastes such as urea.

Exam practice

Important questions, with worked answers

Use each answer to check the method and wording—not as a paragraph to memorise.

Q1Differentiate between aerobic and anaerobic respiration.

Answer

Aerobic respiration occurs in the presence of oxygen, takes place in the mitochondria, completely breaks glucose into CO₂ and water, and releases a large amount of energy. Anaerobic respiration occurs without oxygen, in the cytoplasm, gives end products like lactic acid or ethanol + CO₂, and releases much less energy.

Q2Why is double circulation of blood necessary in human beings?

Answer

Double circulation keeps oxygenated and deoxygenated blood from mixing, so oxygen is supplied efficiently to the body. This is essential for warm-blooded animals, which need a lot of energy to maintain body temperature.

Q3How are the alveoli designed to maximise the exchange of gases?

Answer

Alveoli are tiny balloon-like sacs that provide a very large surface area, have extremely thin walls, and are surrounded by a rich network of blood capillaries, allowing rapid diffusion of O₂ and CO₂.

Q4Differentiate between transport of materials in xylem and phloem.

Answer

Xylem transports water and dissolved minerals upward from roots to leaves using transpiration pull and does not require energy. Phloem transports food (sucrose) from leaves to all parts (in any direction) and requires energy (ATP).

Q5Why do herbivores have a longer small intestine than carnivores?

Answer

Herbivores eat plant matter containing cellulose, which is difficult to digest. A longer small intestine gives more time and surface area to digest and absorb this food.

Q6What is the role of hydrochloric acid in the stomach?

Answer

HCl creates an acidic medium that activates the enzyme pepsin (which digests proteins) and kills harmful bacteria present in food.

Q7Name the process by which plants lose water, and state its two functions.

Answer

The process is transpiration. It creates the transpiration pull that draws water up the xylem, and it helps regulate temperature by cooling the plant.

Fast recall

Key terms to remember

Autotroph: Organism that makes its own food, e.g. green plants by photosynthesis.

Stomata: Tiny pores on leaves for gas exchange and transpiration, guarded by guard cells.

Alveoli: Balloon-like air sacs in the lungs where gas exchange occurs.

Nephron: Basic filtering unit of the kidney that forms urine.

Translocation: Transport of food through phloem from leaves to other plant parts.

A repeatable method

How to learn Life Processes properly

  1. 1

    Start with the chapter promise

    Study nutrition, respiration, transportation, and excretion. Before solving, the student should be able to say what the chapter is trying to teach and which kind of problem it helps solve.

  2. 2

    Build the core vocabulary

    The important words for this chapter are Nutrition, Respiration and Transport. Eduro should make the student define each one in simple language, then use it in a question or explanation.

  3. 3

    Move from recognition to recall

    Recognition means the answer makes sense after seeing it. Recall means the student can produce the next step independently. This page is built for recall, because that is what tests reward.

  4. 4

    Close the loop with practice

    A strong study session ends with concept and diagram practice, not only reading. The student should solve, review the mistake, and then attempt a similar question before moving on.

Before the test

Where students usually lose marks

Look for the first wrong decision—not only the final wrong answer. That is the mistake worth repairing.

Mistake 1

Knowing Nutrition only after seeing the solution

This is the most common hidden gap. The student feels confident while reading, but cannot choose the starting step alone. Eduro should ask a short diagnostic question before explaining the method.

Mistake 2

Treating Life Processes as a memory chapter

Even memory-heavy chapters need reasoning. A memorised line becomes fragile when the question changes. The student should explain why the answer works, not only what the answer is.

Mistake 3

Skipping the checking step

concept-to-example gap usually survives because the student finishes the answer and moves on. Eduro should make review part of the answer: what was asked, what was used, and whether the final response fits.

Try it with Eduro

Practice that builds real confidence

Say it naturally, as you would to a patient teacher. Each prompt below is designed to make understanding visible.

Prompt 1

Ask Eduro to explain Life Processes through Nutrition before showing any solved answer.

Prompt 2

Create five questions that separately test Nutrition, Respiration and Transport.

Prompt 3

Give one wrong answer from Life Processes and ask the student to find the first incorrect step.

Prompt 4

End with a mixed mini-test where Eduro does not reveal which skill is being tested.

For parents

A better way to ask, “Is the chapter done?”

For Class 10 Science, a good sign is not that the child says 'Life Processes is done.' A better sign is that they can explain Nutrition, solve one fresh question, and correct one mistake without panic.

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Quick help

Common questions

How can I study Life Processes for NCERT Class 10?

Start with the NCERT examples, understand the key ideas in Nutrition, Respiration, Transport, then practice exercise questions and ask Eduro where you get stuck.

Can Eduro help with Life Processes?

Yes. Eduro can explain Life Processes step by step, answer follow-up doubts, and help students practice related Science questions.