Digestion & Nutrition Flashcards
Nutrients
What are Nutrients and it Purposes?
Nutrients are substances found in foods that are needed for the body to develop and function.
The human body can’t make nutrients, so they must be supplied by food which contains nutrients.
The nutrients supply energy, provide materials for growth and maintenance, and control body functions.
What are carbohydrates and its functions? Digestion of Carbohydrates
Molecules that consists of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms
Source of energy for the body
Starch -> maltose -> glucose
Monosaccharides
glucose
fructose
galactose
Disaccharide
glucose + fructose = Sucrose
glucose + galactose = Lactose
glucose + glucose = Maltose
Polysaccharide
Starch
Glycogen
Cellulose
Test for reducing sugar
Benedict’s Test
Add 2 cm3 of benedict’s solution to 2 cm3 of the sugar solution in a test-tube. Shake the mixture and place the test-tube in a boiling water bath for 2-3 minutes
Remains blue — no reducing sugar is present
Changes from blue to green — little reducing sugar present
Changes from blue to yellow/orange — moderate amount of reducing sugar present
Changes from blue to red/brick red precipitate — large amount of reducing sugar is present
Test for starch
Add 2 drops of iodine solution to the sample
Blue-black — starch is present
Yellow-brown — starch is absent
What are fats and its functions? Digestion of Fats
Lipids are composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms
Storage of energy in the body. The body can use fats as a source of energy but only if carbohydrates and proteins are exhausted.
To provide insulation to the body, preventing heat loss
Found in cell membranes
Provide cushioning for vital organs to protect them
A way to reduce water loss from skin surface
Fats -> Glycerol + Fatty Acids
Test for Fats
Ethanol- Emulsion Test
Add 2 cm3 of ethanol to a 2 cm3 of sample solution in a dry test-tube. Shake the mixture thoroughly. Add 2 cm3 of distilled water to the mixture. Shake the mixture again
White emulsion — fat is present
Remains clear — fat is absent
What are proteins and its functions? Digestion of Proteins
Proteins are organic molecules made up of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. Sometimes, suffer is also present
Proteins are important in growth, development and repair of worn out-cells
Used in the formation of antibodies to combat diseases
*Forms enzymes that help the chemical reaction in our body
Protein -> Polypeptide -> Amino Acid
Test for Protein
Biuret Test
Add 2 cm3 of sodium hydroxide solution and 2 cm3 liquid sample into a test tube. Shake the mixture.
Mixture turns violet — protein is present
Remains blue — protein is absent
Vitamins and Minerals
How they affect our health
Vitamins
Needed in our bodies in small amounts, they help the body to use nutrients efficiently.
Essential for metabolism
Can usually get enough from a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruit and vegetables
There are many types of vitamins, each with their own purpose. e.g Vitamin C promotes wound healing
Minerals
Found in food such as meat, cereals, fish, dairy foods, fruit, veggie and nut
Uses: Zinc, to help heal wounds etc.
What are dietary fibres and its functions?
Dietary fibre is made up of cellulose from plant cell walls that your body cannot break down.
It helps the digestive system to move the food we eat through the intestines and push the waste material out of the body
Digestion
Processes involved in nutrition
Ingestion — Taking in
nutrients by eating or drinking
Digestion — Large food molecules are broken down into simpler molecules that can be absorbed into the body cells
Absorption — Nutrients move from the small intestine into the bloodstream through diffusion
Assimilation — The use of nutrients by cells to provide energy or to make new protoplasm for growth
Egestion — Removal of undigested food from the body
What are the organs in the digestive system
Mouth (salivary glands)
Oesophagus *spell
Stomach
Small intestine
Large intestine
Rectum
Anus
What is digestion
Digestion is the breakdown of large insoluble food molecule into small water-soluble food molecules so that they can be absorbed into the blood