The term life processes refers to vital functions that are very necessary for the survival, growth, reproduction, and stability (homeostasis) of living organisms. These processes are common to all living things, be they single-celled organisms or complex multicellular beings. Here are the key life processes: 1. Nutrition: This involves the process by which organisms take in and use food for energy, growth, and repair. - Example: Humans eat and break down nutrients from food, which are absorbed and made use of as energy-producing substances by cells. Plants, by the process of photosynthesis, convert sunlight into chemical energy and store it as glucose. 2. Respiration: This is the process of breaking down food molecules, mostly glucose, to release energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) to power cellular activities. - Example: Animals, such as humans, need oxygen to break down glucose in a process called aerobic respiration, which produces carbon dioxide, a little water, and energy. In addition, plants undergo respiration, although they use carbon dioxide and release oxygen. 3. Excretion: This is the removal of waste from the body to keep the internal balance for the prevention of accumulations of toxic substances within the body. - Example: Humans excrete waste through the kidneys (urine), by releasing carbon dioxide from the lungs, and by sweating (salt and water). Plants excrete extra oxygen as a residue remaining from photosynthesis for the leaves. 4. Growth: This is seen as a process by which living organisms increase in both size and complexity using cell division and differentiation - a process whereby cells become specialized to carry out different functions. - Example: Baby grows to an adult form through an increase in the number of cells as well as different types of tissues in the body. Plants grow by adding new cells at their tips, increasing both height and spread. 5. Reproduction: Here is the process that allows organisms to produce offspring bearing from the following generation. It guarantees that the species will survive. Reproduction falls under two categories: sexual (meaning involving two parental organisms) or asexual (involving a single organism). - Example: Human beings reproduce sexually with the union of male and female gametes to create a fertilized egg. Another mode of reproduction is where bacteria reproduce asexually by dividing through a process called binary fission, producing two identical offspring. 6. Response to Stimuli: One very essential of an organism is its ability to receive and respond to changes in its environment. This property is crucial for survival and adaptation. - Example: Humans experience pain when touching something hot, hence they will pull away. Plants bend toward light (phototropism) to maximize photosynthesis. 7. Homeostasis: This is a process through which an organism can maintain its stable internal conditions (such as temperature, pH, and water balance) even in varying externality. For example: Humans perspire to lower body temperature when it is getting too hot; they shiver when it is cold to create warmth. Fish work to maintain body salt levels to correct salinity changes between fresh and saltwater bodies. Therefore, all these life processes are interconnected, and all living beings, whether they be the simplest kind of bacterium to the most complex animal or plant, depend on these processes to function, survive, and flourish.

Life processes are defined as the essential activities or functions that living organisms carry out in order to survive. These are essential for growth, reproduction, and maintaining homeostasis. The main life processes are: 1.Nutrition: The process through which organisms consume food and transform it into energy. For instance, a human consumes food, which the digestive system breaks down into simple substances such as glucose, hence providing energy for cellular functions. Plants undergo photosynthesis, in which they make their own food using sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide. 2.Respiration: The process of releasing energy from food. It involves the breakdown of glucose to release energy, usually in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). Humans and animals breathe in oxygen, which helps in the breakdown of glucose in the cells to produce energy. Plants also respire, but they do so mainly at night when photosynthesis is not occurring. 3.Excretion: The removal of waste products from the body. For example, humans excrete waste through the kidneys (urine) and through the skin (sweat). In plants, excretion involves the release of excess water vapor or oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis. 4.Growth is an increase in size and complexity of an organism over time. For example, a human grows from an infant to an adult through cellular division and differentiation. Plants grow through the addition of new cells to their stems, roots, and leaves. 5.Reproduction: It is the process that leads to the creation of offspring. This would guarantee the perpetuation of species and can either be sexual (combining of gametes like those of sperm and egg in animals) or asexual, meaning offspring is generated from one parent, like bacteria or strawberries plants. 6.Movement: The ability of organisms to move or show movement, either within their body (such as blood circulation or digestion) or externally. Animals move actively to find food, escape predators, or seek shelter. Plants also show movement, like the opening and closing of flowers or the bending of stems toward light (phototropism). 7.Sensitivity (or Response to Stimuli): Organisms respond to environmental changes (stimuli). Humans, for instance, can feel heat or cold and react by adjusting behavior (moving to a cooler place). Plants respond to light by growing towards it (phototropism) and to gravity by directing root growth downward (gravitropism). These life processes are basic to the survival of organisms, whether they are animals, plants, or microorganisms.