WHAT ARE LIFE PROCESSES? The maintenance functions of living organisms must go on even when they are not doing anything particular. Even when we are just sitting in class even if we are just asleep, this maintenance job has to go on The processes which together perform this maintenance job an We processes . Since these maintenance processes are needed to prevent damage and break-down energy is needed for them. This energy comes from outside the body of the mdhadual organism. So there must be a process to transfer a source of energy from outside the body of the organism which we call food, to the inside, a process we commonly call nutrition If the body size of the organisins is to grow, additional raw material wit also be needed from outside. Since life on earth depends on carbon- based molecules most of these food sources are also carbon-based Depending on the complexity of these carbon sources, different organisms can then use different kinds of nutritional processes The outside sourc...