diet, digestion and absorption Flashcards
diet
provides energy
- supplies building blocks for growth and maintenance of tissues
- other nutrients:
- water - transport, solvent
-vitamins - chemical reactions, blood clotting
-minerals - muscle contraction, bone strength, haemoglobin
weight loss
catabolism of glycogen, muscle protein, fat stores
weight gain
storage of fat
carbohydrates
-polysaccharides (starch, glycogen)
- disaccharides (sucrose, lactose)
- monosaccharides (glucose, fructose
we require amylases to breakdown the glycosidic bond or hydrolyze the glycosidic bond there to break down larger structures into smaller ones.
proteins
Proteins are long chains of amino acids, which are joined by peptide bonds.
- 20 different amino acids - 11 non essential
daily intake should be 1g/ 1kg body weight
- If you have too much protein going through the digestive tract, it increases the osmotic potential. And that will draw water out into the into the Lumen and that can lead to dehydration and diarrhea
- can also increase the risk of cancer and coronary heart disease because by taking an excessive protein we tend to take in more fat as well.
how can the liver be damaged by excess proteins
- The liver can be damaged because excessive proteins are used to make glucose and byproduct of that is ammonia, which damages the liver because it’s very toxic
how can the kidney be damaged by excessive protein intake
- in terms of the kidney, We produce more renal acid
- renal acid secretion can damage the kidneys and it can also cause precipitation of uric acid.
fats - triglycerides
triglycerides havea glycerol backbone - this is the hydrophilic part and then it’s got three fatty acid side chains which are hydrophobic
function of fats
they are storage molecules in plants and animals
- are also a good source of insulation in animals
- and fatty acids can be classed as saturated if they don’t contain double bonds or unsaturated if they do
- saturated fatty acids are bad fatty acids because they increase the LDL whereas unsaturated ones will reduce it, So they are classed as good fats
importance of cholesterol
cholesterol is very important in the diet because it contributes to the fluidity of the cell membrane and it’s also important in the production of steroid hormones.
essential fatty acids
linoleic omega-6 - essential for that for production of arachidonic acid
○ Linoleic omega 3 fatty acid is actually an inhibitor of the cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase enzymes.
what is arachidonic acid broken down into
- arachidonic acid Is broken down into leukotrienes and prostaglandins, thromboxane - so these are inflammatory mediators that are important part of the inflammatory process
role of Linoleic omega 3 fatty acid
it reduces the production of inflammatory mediators.
- So it’s got it in important anti-inflammatory actions
- and it’s also thought to be important in reducing the risk of coronary heart disease
vitamins and minerals
required in trace amounts in humans
- often toxic in excess - can cause Wilsons disease
- water-soluble vitamins (B+C) easily absorbed
- fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E + K) -require bile or pancreatic lipase
the GI tract
the GI tract could be considered as a long tube.
- there is a mucosal layer that’s surrounded by layers of smooth muscle To propel it along the tube.
the Gi tract - the mouth
- the mouth is the start
- where mechanical digestion occurs and Chewing and swallowing
- food then passes into the oesophagus which is literally used as a connecting tube and pushes the food down to the stomach which is a storage organ
the gi tract - the small intestine
the food passes through to the small intestine where the majority of digestion and absorption occurs in the duodenum and the jejunum
○ this is aided by secretions from the pancreas - pancreatic juice and bile will provide the optimal conditions for digestion and absorption to occur
the GI tract - large intestine
- When the food passes through to the large intestine it moves a lot slower So it’s considered a storage organ - this is any undigested material
- further absorption of water occurs in the large intestine before it passes into the rectum - which is the Final storage points and pass this out through the anus
transmit time from the mouth to the anus
Transit time from the mouth to the anus can vary from 12 to 48 Hours
digestion
overall digestion is the breakdown of large into smaller molecules in order for absorption to occur.