NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Science Chapter 5 – Life Processes

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Chapter 5 – Life Processes

Intext Questions with Solutions of Class 10 Science Chapter 5 – Life Processes

1.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Q1: Why diffusion insufficient for oxygen needs

Ans: Diffusion is inadequate to satisfy the oxygen demands of multicellular organisms such as humans, as this process is inherently slow and would require considerable time to reach every cell in the body, which is extensive and intricate, with each cell necessitating oxygen.

2.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Q2: Criteria to determine if something alive

Ans: The primary criteria used to determine whether something is alive are breathing and respiration. However, living beings exhibit development and movement.

3.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Q3: External raw materials for organisms - food, water, oxygen for energy and body functions

Ans: Food, water, and oxygen are external raw elements utilized by an organism. The quantities, sources, and types of these raw materials differ among distinct species and are mostly utilized for essential tasks within their bodies. They also supply energy to the body to execute numerous functions.

4.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Q4: Essential processes for maintaining life - breathing, digestion, excretion, circulation

Ans: The maintenance of life depends on vital functions like breathing, digestion, excretion, circulation, and transportation.

5.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Q5: Autotrophic vs heterotrophic nutrition difference

Ans:

Autotrophic nutritionHeterotrophic nutrition
(i) In this mode of nutrition, an organism synthesizes its own food.  (i) In this mode of nutrition, an organism is unable to produce or synthesize its own food.  
(ii) Organisms utilize basic inorganic substances such as carbon dioxide and water to synthesize their food in the presence of sunlight.  (ii) Organisms are unable to synthesize their own food from simple inorganic substances and rely on other organisms for sustenance.
(iii) All green plants and certain algae utilize this mode of nutrition.  (iii) All animals, the majority of bacteria, and fungi utilize this mode of nutrition.  

6.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Q6: Plant raw materials for photosynthesis

Ans:

  1. Carbon dioxide: Plants get carbon dioxide from the air through little holes in their leaves called stomata.
  2. Water: Plants get water from the ground through their roots and transport it to their leaves.
  3. Sunlight: The sun shines on plants.
  4. Chlorophyll: This is what makes plants green. It is present in the chloroplasts of green leaves and other green parts of plants.

7.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Q7: Role of stomach acid HCl

Ans: The stomach’s HCl breaks down food particles and makes the environment acidic. Pepsinogen, which breaks down proteins, turns into pepsin when it is in an acidic environment. HCl in the stomach also protects against several germs that can make you sick.

8.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Q8: Function of digestive enzymes

Ans: The breakdown of complex food molecules into simpler ones that the body’s cells can readily absorb is one of the vital tasks carried out by the digestive enzymes. These enzymes also serve as biocatalysts, speeding up the breakdown of complex foods by increasing the rate of reaction. The body contains a variety of digestive enzymes, including lipase, amylase, trypsin, and pepsin.

9.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Q9: Small intestine design - villi projections increase surface area for food absorption

Ans: The small intestine’s layout maximizes the amount of space available for the absorption of broken-down food and its subsequent passage into the bloodstream for the body’s circulation. The small intestine’s inner lining contains several projections that resemble fingers, known as villi, for this purpose. Each and every cell in the body receives the absorbed food thanks to the abundant blood arteries that supply the villi.

10.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Q10: Terrestrial vs aquatic organism oxygen advantage - higher atmospheric concentration

Ans: The abundance of oxygen in the environment gives terrestrial organisms an edge over watery ones. Aquatic species breathe air that has been dissolved in the water, whereas terrestrial organisms breathe air that is present in the atmosphere surrounding them. As a result, the air contains a significantly higher concentration of oxygen than the water.

11.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Q11: Glucose oxidation pathways - aerobic respiration vs anaerobic fermentation processes

Ans: Glycolysis is the mechanism that initially breaks down glucose in the cytoplasm into two three-carbon molecules termed pyruvate. various processes in various organisms lead to further degradation.

Glucose breakdown flowchart: glycolysis to pyruvate, then aerobic respiration in mitochondria or anaerobic fermentation pathways

12.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Q12: Oxygen CO2 transport -

Ans:

  1. Transport of oxygen: Hemoglobin in the blood picks up oxygen from the air in the lungs. It brings oxygen to tissues that don’t have enough of it before letting it go.
  2. Transport of carbon dioxide: Carbon dioxide dissolves better in water. So, it usually gets from body tissues to the lungs in the form of dissolved blood plasma. It moves from blood to air in the lungs here.

13.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Q13: Lung design for gas exchange - alveoli balloon structures maximize surface area

Ans:

  • The lungs are very important to the body. Inside the lungs, the passageway splits into smaller and smaller tubes that end in structures that look like balloons. These are called alveoli.
  • In the alveoli, there is an area where gases can move back and forth. There is usually a large network of blood arteries on the walls of the alveoli. We know that when we breathe in, our stomach flattens out, our ribs rise, and our chest gets bigger.
  • To do this, air is sucked into the lungs, which fills up the alveoli that have grown.
  • The blood brings carbon dioxide from the rest of the body to the alveoli and feeds it. The alveolar air contains oxygen, which is taken up by the blood in the alveolar blood vessels and sent to all the body’s cells. Because the lungs always hold some air after taking it in and letting it out during regular breathing, there is enough time for oxygen to be absorbed and carbon dioxide to be released.

14.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Q14: Human transport system components -

Ans: The heart, blood, and blood arteries make up the majority of the human circulatory system, or transport system.

  1. The heart’s function is to pump blood that has lost oxygen from various body sections to the lungs so that it can be enriched with oxygen. It circulates the body after receiving purified blood from the lungs.
  2. Blood’s role: Blood carries hormones, carbon dioxide, oxygen, digested food, and nitrogenous waste, such as urea. It also controls body temperature and shields the body from illness.
  3. Blood vessel function: The blood that the heart pumps through the arteries, veins, and capillaries also returns to the heart via these blood vessels.

15.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Q15: Separate oxygenated deoxygenated blood -

Ans: Warm-blooded creatures like birds and mammals maintain a consistent body temperature regardless of their surroundings. In order for warm-blooded animals to produce more energy to maintain a stable body temperature, this procedure necessitates a large amount of oxygen for increased cellular respiration. Warm-blooded animals must so distinguish between oxygenated and deoxygenated blood in order to maintain the effectiveness of their circulatory systems.

16.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Q16: Plant transport system components - xylem transports water, phloem transports food

Ans: Xylem and phloem are the two conducting tissues found in highly ordered plants.
Tracheids, vessels, and other xylem tissues make up xylem. All areas of the plant are reached by the continuous network of water-conducting channels formed by the connected vessels and tracheids. Water and minerals are carried by xylem.
Soluble products of photosynthesis are transported from leaves to other plant sections by phloem.

Plant transport diagram showing xylem vessels for water/mineral transport and phloem tubes for food transport in vascular bundles

17.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Q17: Water mineral transport in plants - root hairs to xylem vessels transpiration suction

Ans: The roots of a plant possess structures known as root hairs.
The root hairs are in direct touch with the water film between the soil particles. Water and dissolved minerals enter the root hair through the process of diffusion. The water and minerals taken by the root hair from the soil traverse from cell to cell by osmosis through the epidermis, root cortex, endodermis, and ultimately reach the root xylem.
The xylem vessels of the plant’s root are interconnected with the xylem vessels of its stem.
Consequently, the water infused with dissolved minerals ascends from the root xylem vessels into the stem xylem vessels. The xylem vessels of the stem diverge into the leaves of the plants. The xylem vessels in the stem transport water and minerals to the leaves via branched xylem vessels that extend from the petiole into all regions of the leaf. Consequently, water and minerals from the soil are transported by the root and stem to the leaves of the plants. The evaporation of water molecules from leaf cells generates a suction that draws water from the xylem cells in the roots. The evaporation of water as vapor from the aerial portions of the plant is referred to as transpiration.

Water transport in plants: root hairs uptake, xylem vessels pathway, transpiration from leaves creating suction mechanism

18.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Q18: Food transport in plants -

Ans: A specialized organ known as the phloem transports food within plants. Phloem is responsible for transferring nutrients from the plant’s leaves to other areas of the plant. The transport of food in phloem occurs through the utilization of energy derived from ATP. This elevates osmotic pressure within the tissue, resulting in the movement of water. This pressure facilitates the movement of material in the Phloem towards tissues exhibiting lower pressure. This facilitates the transportation of food materials according to requirements. For instance, sucrose.

19.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Q19: Nephron structure function - Bowman's capsule glomerulus filtration and reabsorption

Ans:

Structure Of Nephron: Each nephron has two sections. First is Bowman’s capsule, a cup-shaped sack on top.
The Bowman’s capsule has glomerulus, a blood capillary bundle. The renal artery carries impure blood with urea waste into the glomerulus. Those contaminants are filtered. The other nephron coils. The body needs glucose, amino acids, ions, and excess water, which are reabsorbed here. The nephron retains urine with dissolved urea in water, which is released through the urethra periodically.

Nephron structure diagram: Bowman's capsule with glomerulus, tubule sections, blood vessels for filtration and reabsorption

Nephron functions: Bowman’s capsule filters blood from glomerulus capillaries. Filtrate enters the tubular nephron. The filtrate comprises glucose, amino acids, urea, uric acid, salts, and water.
As filtrate passes throughout the tubule, capillaries around the nephron tubule preferentially resorb glucose, amino acids, salts, and water into the blood.
The filtrate left after reabsorption is urine. Urea, uric acid, salts, and water are in urine. Urine is collected from nephrons and sent to the ureter and bladder.

20.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Q20: Plant excretion methods -

Ans: Through transpiration, plants can eliminate surplus water.

Plants employ the fact that many of their tissues are made up of dead cells and that they may even shed some sections, like leaves, to get rid of other waste. Cellular vacuoles hold a variety of plant waste products. Leaves that fall off can be used to hold waste.

Particularly in aged xylem, other waste materials are retained as gums and resins. Additionally, plants release certain waste products into the surrounding soil.

21.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Q21: Urine production regulation - water content, dissolved wastes, hormonal control

Ans: The kidney controls the amount of urine produced. The amount of waste and surplus water dissolved in the water determines this.

  1. Water content: Large amounts of diluted urine are expelled from the body when there is an abundance of water in the tissues. A tiny amount of concentrated urine is expelled when the body’s tissues contain less water.
  2. Amount of dissolved wastes: The body excretes dissolved wastes, particularly nitrogenous wastes like urea, uric acid, and salts. The body needs more water to expel dissolved wastes when there are more of them in the body. Urine production consequently rises.
  3. Hormones: Certain hormones that govern the flow of water and Na+ ions into and out of the nephrons also affect the volume of urine generated.

Exercise Questions with Solutions of Class 10 Science Chapter 5 – Life Processes

1.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Ex-Q1: MCQ kidneys part of which system -

Ans: (c) Excretion

2.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Ex-Q2: MCQ xylem responsible for -

Ans: (a) Transport of water

3.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Ex-Q3: MCQ autotrophic nutrition requires - all of above CO2, water, chlorophyll, sunlight

Ans: (d) All of the above

4.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Ex-Q4: MCQ pyruvate breakdown location -

Ans: (b) Mitochondria

5.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Ex-Q5: Fat digestion process location -

Ans:

  • Carbs, lipids, and proteins are fully digested in the small intestine. It gets liver and pancreatic secretions for this.
  • Acidic stomach food must be alkaline for pancreatic enzymes to work. Liver-produced bile juice does this.
  • Fats in the intestine are frequently in bigger globules, making enzyme action difficult. Bile salts break down big globules. Pancreatic juice contains trypsin for protein digestion and lipase for emulsified fat digestion.
  • Small intestine walls include glands that release digestive juice. Finally, its enzymes convert proteins to amino acids, complex carbs to glucose, and lipids to fatty acids and glycerol.
Fat digestion equation: Fat + Lipase enzyme → Fatty acids + Glycerol showing breakdown process in small intestine

6.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Ex-Q6: Role of saliva in digestion -

Ans: The salivary glands in the mouth produce the watery substance known as saliva. Saliva’s actions begin when food is moistened, which creates a meal bolus that is easy to swallow. Saliva then aids in the process of food digestion, which begins in the mouth. Saliva contains an enzyme called amylase that helps break down starch into maltose and dextrin.

7.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Ex-Q7: Autotrophic nutrition conditions - chlorophyll, water, sunlight, CO2 with oxygen byproduct

Ans: Essential requirements for autotrophic nutrition include:

  1. The presence of chlorophyll within the living cells.
  2. Provision of water supply to green plants or plant cells.
  3. Adequate exposure to sunlight.
  4. There must be an adequate availability of carbon dioxide.

The by-product of autotrophic nutrition is oxygen.

8.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Ex-Q8: Aerobic vs anaerobic respiration differences -

Ans:

Aerobic respirationAnaerobic respiration
1. It occurs in the presence of oxygen.  1. It occurs in an anaerobic environment.  
2. Complete catabolism of food transpires during aerobic respiration.  2. In anaerobic respiration, food undergoes partial decomposition.  
3. The final products of aerobic respiration are carbon dioxide and water.

3. The byproducts of anaerobic respiration can include ethanol and carbon dioxide (as observed in yeast) or lactic acid (as found in mammalian muscles).  
4. Aerobic respiration generates a substantial quantity of energy.  4. Anaerobic respiration generates far less energy.  

9.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Ex-Q9: Alveoli design for gas exchange -

Ans: The air sacs that are found inside the lungs as tiny pouches or sac-like structures are called alveoli. They take the shape of balloon-like structures that expand the surface area available for breathing in blood capillaries. The lungs have more than a million alveoli, which expands the surface area available for gas exchange. This enhances the gas exchange in the lungs by bringing a lot of air into touch with the air within.

10.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Ex-Q10: Hemoglobin deficiency consequences - reduced oxygen transport causes anemia condition

Ans: A protein called hemoglobin is in charge of carrying oxygen to the body’s cells so that they can respire. RBCs’ ability to carry oxygen can be impacted by a hemoglobin shortage. As a result, our body cells were deficient in oxygen. Anaemia is a condition caused by a lack of hemoglobin.

11.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Ex-Q11: Double circulation in humans

Ans: The heart receives blood twice and pumps it out of the heart twice as well. Blood that is deoxygenated is carried from the body to the right atrium by the vena cava; from there, it is sent to the right ventricle. The blood is pumped from the right ventricle to the lungs for oxygenation through the pulmonary artery. The pulmonary veins are responsible for the transportation of oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium of the heart. Oxygenated blood is sent to the left atrium, from whence it is sent to the left ventricle. After that, this oxygenated blood is pumped to various regions of the body via the arteries. As a result of this process, the blood goes through the heart on two separate occasions, which is why this process is referred to as “double circulation.”

Necessity of double circulation: In order to prevent oxygenated blood from becoming mixed with deoxygenated blood, the right and left sides of the human heart are both necessary. This particular method of separating oxygenated blood from deoxygenated blood guarantees that the organism receives a very effective supply of oxygen. This is helpful in the case of humans, whose bodies require a steady supply of energy in order to maintain their temperature.

12.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Ex-Q12: Xylem vs phloem transport difference

Ans:

Plant transport table: xylem transports water/minerals via dead cells vs phloem transports food via living cells ATP energy

13.

NCERT Class 10 Ch-5 Life Processes Ex-Q13: Alveoli vs nephrons comparison

Ans:

Organ comparison table: alveoli balloon structures for gas exchange vs nephrons tubular structures for blood filtration

Related Study Resources of Chapter 5 – Life Processes

Students can use the links below to get extra study materials for Class 10 Science Chapter 5: Life Processes.

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Download Life Processes NCERT Solutions PDF

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Class 10 Science Chapter 5 Overview

Life Processes is one of the most significant parts of Class 10 Science since it teaches students how living things stay alive and work. This chapter talks about the basic things that plants and animals do to stay alive, like eating, breathing, moving around, and getting rid of waste. Our Life Processes NCERT Solutions break down each topic into steps, making it easy for students to connect biology to their own bodies and lives.

It’s not uncommon for students to have trouble remembering the differences between autotrophic and heterotrophic feeding or drawing precise schematics of the human digestive and respiratory systems. That’s why our solutions use flowcharts, examples, and clear labels to illustrate each idea. This method helps students learn the theory and also how to answer long-answer and diagram-based problems on tests.

The 2025 NCERT revisions have made this chapter more useful in real life. There is now more focus on real-life examples of how activities like breathing provide us energy and how blood carries oxygen and nutrients. Unneeded repetition has been cut down, and the focus is now on making things clear and creating concepts. Our Life Processes NCERT Solutions include these modifications so that students can keep up with the new exam format.

In the end, using these Life Processes NCERT Solutions helps students learn all the basic biology they need to know for board examinations and for higher courses like NEET. Students acquire both confidence and accuracy via short explanations, solved diagrams, and real-world examples, which helps them do better on tests.

FAQs – Class 10 Science Chapter 5

Why do students have trouble with the chapter on Life Processes?

Because it covers numerous body systems, a lot of students have trouble remembering illustrations and steps. Our solutions make things easier to understand by giving them step-by-step notes.

How can I readily keep track of the differences between photosynthesis and respiration? 

We use comparative tables and real-life examples in our answers to help you remember these distinctions.

Will there be a lot of information about the diagrams of the stomach and respiratory systems?

Yes, each diagram is clearly labeled and explained, just like in the exam.

How do these answers help you study at the last minute?

They give rapid summaries, solved diagrams, and short answers that speed up and improve revision.