1. Nutrition – the process by which organisms take in food and break it down so if can be used for metabolism. -nutrients: substances that an organism needs for energy, growth, repair, maintenance. (Examples – carbohydrates, proteins, lipids) -autotroph: organism that can make its own food (ex. Plants) -heterotroph: organism that can not make its own food (ex. Animal) -ingestion: taking in of food from the environment -digestion: the breakdown of complex food materials into simpler forms that an organism can use.

2. Transport – the process by which substances enter and leave cells and become distributed within the cells. - Small, simple organisms: materials are exchanged directly with the external environment. -Larger, multicellular organisms: most cells are not in direct contact with the external environment. A circulatory system transports materials to, and wastes away from, the cells on the organism.

3. Respiration – when organisms obtain their energy by releasing the chemical energy stored in nutrients. Respiration is a series of reactions that breaks down sugar or another food substance to produce water and carbon dioxide. -aerobic respiration: requires oxygen from the air -anaerobic respiration: break down of food without the use of oxygen (lactic acid fermentation and alcoholic fermentation)

4. Synthesis – combining simple substances chemically to form more complex substances. -assimilation: the incorporation of materials into the organism’s body Growth – the process by which living organisms increase in size. -cellular specialization: different cells becoming specialized for different functions. Excretion – the removal of wastes from the organism’s body.

5. Regulation – all the activities that help to maintain an organism’s homeostasis. In animals, the nervous system and endocrine system are involved in the process of regulation. The nervous system carries messages in the form of nerve impulses. The endocrine system produces hormones. -hormones: chemicals that act as messangers. Reproduction – the process by which living things produce new organisms of their own kind. -asexual reproduction: single parent -sexual reproduction: two parents

6. Metabolism – all the chemical reactions occurring with the cells of an organism. -it includes the processes that build complex substances from simpler ones and processes that break down complex substances into simpler ones. -Also involves the continuous release and use of energy. -Many biologist consider metabolic activity to be the single most important life process!!!!