The seven life processes
The seven things that all living things do, and how to tell living and non-living apart. Read one part at a time and tap “I know this”. Then test yourself in the quiz.
Know it already? Jump straight to the quiz
The seven life processes
| Process | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Movement | Moving yourself or part of yourself | A flower opens |
| Respiration | Releasing energy from food (with oxygen) | We breathe to take in oxygen |
| Sensitivity | Responding to the surroundings | Sunflower turns to the sun |
| Growth | Getting bigger | A seedling becomes a tree |
| Reproduction | Making new ones of the same kind | A hen lays eggs |
| Excretion | Removing waste from the body | Sweating on a hot day |
| Nutrition | Taking in food for energy | A goat eats grass |
Living or non-living?
To be living, something must do all seven processes. A car moves and uses fuel, but it does not grow or make little cars. A seed looks dead, but it is alive: give it water and it grows.
Plants do it too
Plants get their nutrition by making their own food with sunlight. They move slowly (leaves and flowers turn), and they grow and reproduce with seeds.
Looks dead, but alive
- Dry bean seeds, dry yeast and a fertilised bird’s egg do not look alive. Give them the right conditions (water, warmth), and they become active: the seed germinates, the yeast bubbles and the chick hatches. They were alive all the time, just resting.
- Bread mould and germs are also alive. Germs are too small to see with the naked eye.
- Some things were alive and are now dead, such as dead wood and dry leaves.
- Fire moves and grows, and a river moves, but they are non-living: they do not carry out all seven life processes.
Yeast grows in warm water with sugar: it makes bubbles of gas, which shows that yeast is alive.
Remember this and test yourself
- All living things carry out seven life processes.
- They are: movement, respiration, sensitivity, growth, reproduction, excretion and nutrition.
- Respiration is releasing energy from food; excretion is getting rid of waste.
- Plants do all seven too: a sunflower turning to face the sun is sensitivity.
- A rock or a car is non-living: it does not do all seven processes.
Write these points in your book. Read them again the night before the test.
MRS GREN: Movement, Respiration, Sensitivity, Growth, Reproduction, Excretion, Nutrition. Seven letters, seven processes.
Important words
First say what the word means, then turn the card over.
Match column A to column B
Tap a word in column A, then its meaning in column B. You can also start in column B.
True or false?
Read the question and the answer. Is the answer right? Tap True or False.
Now the real quiz!
The quiz has many more questions on this topic. Every question shows straight away whether you are right and explains why.
Take the quiz: The seven life processes- Read one part together and ask your child to tell it back in their own words.
- The ticks (“I know this”) are saved on this device only. We never ask for names or emails.
Follows CAPS for Grade 4 Natural Sciences and Technology. Always check your teacher’s notes and textbook too.