Nutrients Flashcards
What are nutrients?
Nutrients are substances found in food that are essential for our bodies to function.
What do nutrients provide for our bodies?
Nutrients provide energy and materials for cell function, growth and repair.
What are the 5 main groups of nutrients?
The five main groups of nutrients are: Carbohydrates, Proteins, Lipids, Vitamins, Minerals
What are Carbohydrates and give examples of what they can be found in (food)
Carbohydrates are sugars, starches and fibre found in foods like fruit, vegetables, grains and dairy products.
What are carbohydrates that can be found simple in structure called?
Carbohydrates can be simple in structure called monosaccharides and disaccharides like glucose and sucrose.
These supply energy to cells for cellular respiration.
What are carbohydrates that can be found complex in structure called?
Carbohydrates can also be complex structures called polysaccharides like starch and cellulose.
What is special about starch?
Starch can be broken down into energy, or stored and cellulose is also known as fibre
What are proteins?
Proteins are molecules that have many roles in the cell. They are building blocks essential for cell growth and repair in tissues like muscle, bone, hair and skin.
What are proteins made of?
Proteins are made of smaller units call amino acids.
Give a few examples of what proteins are important in.
enzymes, hormones, and carriers like haemoglobin
What are lipids?
Lipids are molecules also known as fats and oils
Lipids have important roles in?
cell membranes and some chemicals like hormones
What is a property of lipids?
They can also provide and store energy
Lipids are made up of?
glycerol and fatty acids
What are vitamins?
Vitamins are organic nutrients that are required in only small amounts
What can a lack of vitamines lead to?
A lack of some vitamins can lead to vitamin-deficiency diseases like scurvy (vitamin C) and rickets (vitamin D).
Vitamines can be found in?
Vitamins are found in a wide variety of foods like fruit, vegetables, eggs, dairy, fish and grains.
What are minerals?
Like vitamins, minerals are inorganic nutrients required in small amounts.
What do minerals have a important role in?
muscle function and the immune system.
Minerals are essential for building structures like?
haemoglobin, bone and teeth.
What are Essential non-nutrients?
They are not used for energy, growth or repair but are essential for health.
These are water and fibre.
Water makes up what fraction of our bodies?
2/3
What does water make up in our bodies?
It makes up our cell cytoplasm and blood
Water is found in what foods?
Water is found in food like fruit, vegetables and dairy
What is a few things water does for our bodies?
It helps remove wastes from the body, keeps skin healthy, joints moving and regulates body temperature
What does fibre play a important role in?
Digestive function
What is fibre?
Fibre is a carbohydrate (cellulose) that cannot be digested by humans
What a thing fibre is essential in the process of (Digestive function)
It helps material to move through the digestive system properly
Fibre is found in what food?
Fibre is found in food that comes from plants
