UNIT 8.

FUNCTIONS OF LIVING THINGS

THE NUTRITION
1. CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING THINGS
All living things have the following characteristics:
* They all consist of cells.
* They all have the same biomolecules: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins,
etc.
* They all perform three vital functions: nutrition, interaction and
reproduction.
2. WHAT ARE CELLS?
Cells are the structural and functional units of all living things. Cells are
usually microscopic sizes, so you must use microscopes to be able to see
them, although some may be seen with the naked eye, e.g. hen's eggs.
Cells have three basic structures:
The cell membrane is the thin layer which separates the inside of
the cell from its surrounding environment.
Cytoplasm is the gelatinous, semi-transparent fluid which fills most
cells. It contains structures called organelles, which are responsible
for cell functions.
The nucleus carries the genetic information of living things which
passes from one generation to the next. Genetic material can refer
to anything from a small fragment of DNA (gen) or the entire
genome. A genome is the complete set of genes, in other words, the
chemical units of hereditary information carried by a cell.
The most important plasma organelles are:
Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum (RER): stores and transports
proteins.
Ribosomes: make proteins.
Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum (SER): transports lipids.
Vacuoles: store substances.
Mitochondria: responsible for cell respiration.
Chloroplast: where photosynthesis takes place.
Golgi body: where substances produced in the ER are processed.
3. TYPES OF CELLS
Depending on complexity, cells can be classified as:
PROKARYOTIC CELLS
Are small

EUKARYOTIC CELLS
Are large

Dont have a nucleus, the DNA is Have a nucleus and the DNA is inside
floating in the cytoplasm.
the nucleus.

Only have ribosomes

Have all cytoplasmic organelles

Have cell wall and membrane

Only have cell membrane

Are only bacteria

Are animals, plants, mushrooms, algae

Depending of its type of nutrition, cells can be classified as:

ANIMAL CELL

PLANT CELL

Have mitochondria to do the cell Have

chloroplasts
to
do
the
respiration.
photosynthesis, and mitochondria for
the cell respiration.
The nucleus is in the centre.

The nucleus is displaced.

Has a rounded form.

Has a polyhedral form.

Have much small vacuoles.

Have few large vacuoles.

4. THE NUTRITION FUNCTION

Nutrition is the set of process used to obtain energy with which the cell
performs the vital functions or replaces tissues. But depending on how it is
processed, there are two types of nutrition.
a) AUTOTROPHIC NUTRITION
This nutrition is performed by plants, algae and cyanobacteria. These
living things make its own energy, with a chemical reaction called
Photosynthesis. For them, its necessary that:
Root absorbs water and mineral salts.
Leaves absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) and the suns energy.
As a result, it obtains glucose and releases oxygen (O2).
ENERGY OF SUN

H 2O
WATER

+ CO2
CARBON DIOXIDE

C6H12O6
GLUCOSE

O2
OXIGEN MOLECULAR

For this reason, it is necessary that the photosynthesis process is

performed during the day.

b) HETEROTROPHIC NUTRITION
This nutrition is performed by animals, mushrooms, most bacteria and
Protoctista. These living things cannot make its own energy, for this
reason, caught the energy from the surrounding environment. This occurs
when a lion eats a gazelle, or when a mushroom feeds on horse faeces, or

when a bacterium decomposes a body.

5. CELL RESPIRATION
When a living thing (autotrophic or heterotrophic) obtains organic matter
(glucose), it is burned in the presence of oxygen to obtain energy. This
way of obtaining energy is more useful and the living thing obtains a lot of
energy. Reactions which allow them to obtain this energy are called Cell
Respiration, and the chemical reaction is:
C6H12O6

O2

H 2O

CO 2

ENERGY
But there is a group of living things, that doesnt use cell respiration to
obtain energy. They use another reaction called FERMENTATION, and
without oxygen, they obtain less energy with glucose, and obtain lactic
acid and ethanol. These chemical reactions are used in the manufacturing
of wine or yoghurt.
6. WHY IS PHOTOSYNTHESIS IMPORTANT?

Most living things obtain energy by burning the organic matter in the
presence of oxygen. For this reason, oxygen is essential. The only living
things capable of releasing oxygen into the atmosphere are the photosynthetic beings (plants, algae and cyanobacteria), the rest take in
oxygen which is produced by plants in order to cell respiration.

7. HOW IS NUTRITION PRODUCED IN THE UPPER ANIMALS?

The upper animals do nutrition thanks to four apparatus: digestive,
respiratory, circulatory and excretory systems.
The digestive system obtains the food nutrients with digestion and
absorption.
The respiratory system obtains oxygen and ejects carbon dioxide.
The circulatory system transports oxygen and nutrients to cells and
collects carbon dioxide and waste substances.
The excretory system ejects the waste substances, such as urea and uric
acid.