Basic nutrients Flashcards
What are essential nutrients?
Nutrients that cannot be synthesised (or can be synthesised but not to sufficient amounts) within the human body.
What are non-essential nutrients?
Nutrients that can be synthesised to sufficient quantities within the human body.
The majority of nutrients can be classified into macro and micronutrients, what are the two exceptions to this rule?
Water - required in large quantities but does not produce energy.
Alcohol - produces a large amount of energy, not required.
What are macronutrients?
Nutrients required in larger, gram quantities. Refers to CHO, fats and protein which, quantitatively, take up the largest percentage of a healthy human diet.
What are micronutrients?
Nutrients required in smaller (<1g) amounts. Refers to vitamins, minerals and trace elements. They are the largest family of nutrient and provide little to no energy.
What are the four main functions of food?
Promotion of growth and development
Provision of energy, warmth and movement
Resisting and fighting infection
Regulation of metabolism.
What are the four classifications of Carbohydrates?
Monosaccharides, Disaccharides, Oligosaccharides, Polysaccharides.
True or false, multiple saccharides joined together can only be structured linearly.
FALSE, can be linear or branched.
In large quantities, Oligosaccharides produce methane. TRUE or FALSE?
TRUE
Triglycerol comprises up to 95% of dietary fats. TRUE or FALSE?
TRUE
Like carbs, fats are comprised of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. What is the main difference?
Fats have less hydrogen than CHO.
How are fats categorised?
Based on number and bonding of carbon atoms.
What are the three saturation levels for fatty acids?
Saturated
Unsaturated
Polyunsaturated
Why are phospholipids crucial for membrane stability?
They are amphipathic, acting as an interface between aqueous and lipid environments.
Phospholipids are critical for lipoproteins. TRUE or FALSE?
True
How are sterols structured?
Ring structure with associated side chains.
Key functions of sterols:
Membrane structure, synthesis of hormones, bile acids.
What are the three main types of fat in the body?
Fatty acids, phospholipids, sterols.
Composition of proteins:
C, H, O, N.
How is excess nitrogen removed from the body?
Excreted through urine, in the form of urea.
Protein usage in the body:
Structure of all tissues
Enzymes, carrier molecules, hormones, neural transmitters, clotting factors.
CAn protein be used to provide energy?
Only in extreme cases of starvation or trauma. All dietary protein is utilised within the body. Metabolism of protein to provide energy always results in destruction of body tissue/reduction in metabolic function.
How is protein quality determined?
Determined by digestibility and nitrogen retention.
TRUE or FALSE, digestibility differs between plant and animal protein.
TRUE, protein in plant cellulose cannot be digested.
