What is life?

LO: to list the 7 life processes and

define life

The 7 life processes

Movement: changing place or position

R espiration: generating energy
S ensitivity: being aware of the surroundings
G rowth: an increase in size or number
R eproduction: creating new individuals
E xcretion: removal of waste products
N
utrition: obtaining food to build a body

TASK: 1. Discuss and write down the 7 life processes.

2. Is there a process that every organism does? Are some
life processes more important than others?

In pairs, decide

Are these alive?

What life processes do they do?
All do respiration and
all composed of cells

Malaria parasite
Bacteria

Respiration

is the process by which ALL cells obtain their energy.

It is the burning of glucose sugar and oxygen to
produce energy, carbon dioxide and water.
Word Equation:
Symbol Equation:

glucose + oxygen
C6H12O6

6O2

=> carbon dioxide + water

=>

6CO2

+ 6 H2O

Photosynthesis
is the process used by plant cells only to make glucose sugar
(food) and oxygen using green chlorophyll, sunlight, carbon
dioxide and water
Word Equation:
Symbol Equation:

carbon dioxide + water

6CO2

=>

glucose

+ oxygen

+ 6 H2O =>

C6H12O6

6O2

Photosynthesis and respiration

During the day, plants respire
and photosynthesise.

Plants respire to unlock the

energy produced in
photosynthesis, just as
animals
do.
At night, plants
respire but dont
photosynthesise.
Respiration is the opposite of
photosynthesis.
At night, plants respire but
dont photosynthesise.
Why was our experiment with the
pond weed unfair?
What could we have done to
improve our pond weed
experiment? Kept it in the dark

1. Give three reasons why a space alien may

think that a motor car is a living thing (3)
2. Give three reasons why you know that a
motor car is NOT living
(3)
3. Discuss with your partner, can you think of
something which are not cells but can cause
disease? Are these alive?

Coldsore
virus

Flu virus

These are pictures of viruses are they alive?

They are not alive because they are not made of cells and dont carry
out respiration
HIV
Cold virus

Ebola

Decreas
e carbon
dioxide
=solutio
n turns
PURPLE

Hydrogen
carbonate
solution
Bicarbonate indicator turns purple if CO2
decrease and yellow if CO2 increases

Increase
carbon
dioxide
= solution
turns
YELLOW

What colour will the hydrogen carbonate solution turn if I

blow into it?

I breathe out carbon dioxide from my respiring

cells so the concentration of carbon dioxide will
increase, the solution will turn yellow

Results

Bicarbonate indicator turns purple if CO2

decrease and yellow if CO2 increases
Copy the results table, discuss with your partner and
try to predict the results

Look at the boiling tubes

Fill in your results table
Are they all the same
colour?
Can you explain why some
are different colours?
In which one has the most
respiration occurred and
why?

Organism

Colour of CO2
indicator

onion
apple
Pond weed
mushroom

Maggots
Organism

CO2 produced?
(Y/N)

 Are apples and mushrooms alive?

YES, because

Is this what you expected, why not?

If something respires to produce
energy then it is alive
CELLS AND RESPIRATION =
LIFE

Do you kill an apple every time you

eat one?

Which of these organisms respire?

A

ALL OF
E
F
THEM!