All living beings perform three vital functions: nutrition, interaction, and reproduction. Nutrition involves the exchange of matter and energy between organisms and their environments through either autotrophic or heterotrophic means. Interaction allows organisms to receive and respond to stimuli in their environment. Reproduction enables the production of new individuals through either asexual or sexual means.
1. Vital functions
All living beings perform three vital functions:
Nutrition
Interaction
Reproduction
2. Vital functions
Nutrition:
It is a combination of processes by which living
beings exchange matter and anergy with
their environment.
There are two types of nutrition:
Autotrophic: living beings which make their own
organic matter from inorganic matter using a source
of energy.
Heterotrophic: living beings which feed on organic
matter produced by other living being.
3. Vital functions
Interaction:
All living beings interact with their environment
and with other living beings to survive.
Interaction enables living beings to receive
and respond to a stimulus.
4. Vital functions
Reproduction:
It is the biological process by which new
individual organisms are produced.
There are two types of reproduction:
Asexual: it requires only one parent which produces
new, genetically identical living beings.
Sexual: it requires two parents: a male and a
female, which provide a gamete or sexual cell.
These two cells join to form a new living being,
different both individuals.