Human Nutrition

Question 1

What is a balanced diet?

Answer 1

A diet containing the proper proportions of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water to maintain good health and metabolism.

Question 2

What are the factors that influence diet?

Answer 2

Age, gender, and lifestyle. For example:

-Children below 12 need more calcium.
-Teenagers require the highest calorie intake.
-Adults need balanced meals with fewer calories.
-Pregnant women need more iron and calcium.
-Males generally require more energy.

Question 3

What are the functions of carbohydrates in the body?

Answer 3

Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy.

Question 4

What is the role of fats and oils?

Answer 4

Fats and oils provide energy, act as building materials, store energy, provide insulation and buoyancy, and help in hormone production.

Question 5

What is the function of proteins?

Answer 5

Proteins provide energy, are used for building materials (such as muscles), enzymes, hormones, and antibodies.

Question 6

What is the function of Vitamin C?

Answer 6

Vitamin C is important for collagen production and boosting the immune system.

Question 7

What is the function of Vitamin D?

Answer 7

Vitamin D helps with the absorption of calcium.

Question 8

What does calcium do for the body?

Answer 8

Calcium is essential for the development and maintenance of strong bones and teeth.

Question 9

What is the role of iron in the body?

Answer 9

Iron is needed for the production of haemoglobin.

Question 10

What is the importance of fibre (roughage)?

Answer 10

Fibre provides bulk for faeces and helps with peristalsis (the movement of food through the digestive system).

Question 11

What is the role of water in the body?

Answer 11

Water is essential for chemical reactions in the body and is a solvent for transporting nutrients.

Question 12

What are the causes and symptoms of scurvy?

Answer 12

Scurvy is caused by a Vitamin C deficiency, leading to symptoms like loss of teeth, pale skin, and sunken eyes.

Question 13

What causes rickets and osteoporosis?

Answer 13

A deficiency in calcium and Vitamin D causes rickets (in children) and osteoporosis (in adults), resulting in weak bones and teeth.

Question 14

What is ingestion in the digestive system?

Answer 14

Ingestion is the process of taking substances, such as food and drink, into the body through the mouth.

Question 15

What is physical (mechanical) digestion?

Answer 15

Physical digestion is the breakdown of food into smaller pieces without chemical change, increasing surface area for enzymes.

Question 16

What is chemical digestion?

Answer 16

Chemical digestion is the breakdown of large, insoluble food molecules into small, soluble molecules by enzymes.

Question 17

What is absorption in digestion?

Answer 17

Absorption is the movement of nutrients from the intestines into the blood.

Question 18

What is assimilation in digestion?

Answer 18

Assimilation is the uptake and use of nutrients by cells.

Question 19

What is egestion in digestion?

Answer 19

Egestion is the removal of undigested food from the body as faeces.

Question 20

What is the function of the mouth in digestion?

Answer 20

The mouth contains teeth for mechanical digestion, and food is mixed with saliva, which contains amylase to begin starch digestion.

Question 21

What is the role of the salivary glands?

Answer 21

Salivary glands produce saliva that contains amylase, which begins breaking down starch.

Question 22

What does the oesophagus do in digestion?

Answer 22

The oesophagus uses peristalsis to transport food from the mouth to the stomach.

Question 23

What is the function of the stomach in digestion?

Answer 23

The stomach uses pepsin (a protease) to break down proteins and kills bacteria with hydrochloric acid. It also performs mechanical digestion through peristalsis.

Question 24

What does the small intestine do in digestion?

Answer 24

The small intestine is where most digestion and absorption occur. The duodenum emulsifies fats, while the jejunum and ileum absorb nutrients.

Question 25

What is the role of the pancreas in digestion?

Answer 25

The pancreas produces enzymes like amylase, trypsin, and lipase that help break down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

Question 26

What is the function of bile?

Answer 26

Bile emulsifies fats and neutralizes acidic food from the stomach to provide an optimal pH for enzymes in the small intestine.

Question 27

Where is bile stored, and what is its role?

Answer 27

Bile is stored in the gall bladder and helps with fat emulsification and neutralizing stomach acid.

Question 28

What is the function of the large intestine?

Answer 28

The large intestine absorbs water and minerals from waste and reabsorbs water to maintain the body’s water levels.

Question 29

What is the function of the rectum and anus?

Answer 29

The rectum stores faeces temporarily, and the anus controls the release of faeces from the body.

Question 30

What is the role of amylase?

Answer 30

Amylase breaks down starch into maltose. It is produced by the salivary glands and pancreas.

Question 31

What does protease do in digestion?

Answer 31

Protease breaks down proteins into amino acids. Pepsin works in the stomach, and trypsin works in the small intestine.

Question 32

What is the role of lipase?

Answer 32

Lipase breaks down fats into fatty acids and glycerol. It is produced in the pancreas.