Basic Nutrition Flashcards
What are nutrients?
Components in the diet that have specific functions within the body.
What are essential nutrients?
These cannot be synthesised by the body. They must be supplied by the diet.
What are non-essential nutrients?
These can be synthesised by the body.
What are the seven nutrients?
Water, protein, carbohydrates, fibre, fats, vitamins, and minerals.
Define homeostasis.
It helps to maintain body water.
It controls the body temperature by panting and sweating.
It also allows chemical reactions to take place.
What percentage of water makes up the bodyweight?
Include intracellular and extracellular.
Water makes up 60% of bodyweight.
40% is intracellular.
20% is at extracellular.
Within extracellular, 14% is trans cellular, 5% is plasma, and 1% is interstitial.
Name three functions of proteins.
Growth, repair, energy, metabolism, and a source of nitrogen.
Why do cats need to have taurine (amino acid) in their diet?
Cats cannot convert methionine rapidly enough, therefore they need taurine in the diet.
Inadequate levels of taurine can cause blindness and heart problems.
When will protein deficiency occur?
It can occur from either low levels of protein in the diet or from insufficient levels from one amino acid.
Name three signs of protein deficiency.
Weight loss, poor growth, dull coat, muscle atrophy, oedema, leading to death.
What are the three main groups of carbohydrates?
Monosaccharides, Disaccharides, and Polysaccharides.
What are monosaccharides?
Give one example.
Made up of simple sugars, have 3-7 carbon atoms.
I.e. glucose, fructose, galactose.
What are Disaccharides?
Give one example.
Made of two monosaccharides linked together.
I.e. lactose, sucrose, maltose.
What are Polysaccharides?
Give one example.
Made up of many monosaccharides units which are cross linked.
This gives them complex long chains.
I.e. starch, dextrin, glycogen, fibre.
Name three problems with carbohydrates.
They are not easily digested.
There is a possibility of diarrhoea in older animals.
Obesity.
What are the three essential fatty acids (EFA)?
Linoleic acid, linolenic acid, and arachidonic acid.
Name three symptoms of essential fatty acid deficiency.
Impaired reproductive performance.
Impaired wound healing.
Dry coat and dry, scaly skin.
Name three sources of fat.
Animal fat oils, vegetable oils, oily fish, red meat, dairy products.
Name the two groups of vitamins and give examples.
Water soluble.
B complex vitamins, vitamin c.
Fat soluble.
A, D, E, K.
What is the function of vitamin A?
Vision, bone growth, reproduction, and maintenance of epithelial tissue.
List three sources of vitamin A.
Carotenoids, fish oils, milk, liver, egg.