nutrients Flashcards
Why do animals need to consume food?
For energy and the assembly of molecules, cells, and tissues
What are the four types of feeding mechanisms in animals?
Filter feeders – Strain small organisms/particles from the surrounding medium.
Substrate feeders – Live on or in their food source.
Fluid feeders – Suck nutrient-rich fluids from a living host (e.g., blood, nectar).
Bulk feeders – Eat large amounts of food at once and can go long periods between meals.
What are the three main dietary needs for an adequate diet?
Chemical energy for cellular processes.
Organic building blocks for macromolecules.
Essential nutrients that must be obtained from food.
What are essential nutrients?
Preassembled organic molecules that animals must obtain from their diet
amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals.
What are essential amino acids, and how do animals obtain them, and how many are there?
Animals require 20 amino acids to make proteins.
Some amino acids can be synthesized, but others must come from food.
Complete proteins (meat, eggs, cheese) provide all essential amino acids.
Most plant products are incomplete.
Why are essential fatty acids important?
Needed to synthesize cellular components; animals cannot form certain double bonds in fatty acids
What is an example of an essential fatty acid for mammals?
Linoleic acid, obtained from seeds, grains, and vegetables
What are vitamins?
Organic molecules required in small amounts for various bodily functions
What are minerals?
Inorganic nutrients required in small amounts
list the main minerals
Ca
K
Mg
Fe
iodine
What happens if an animal lacks one or more essential nutrients?
It results in malnutrition, which can cause health issues like weak bones, organ failure, and metabolic disorders
What is undernutrition, and what are its effects?
A diet that doesn’t provide enough chemical energy, leading the body to break down stored fat, carbohydrates, and eventually proteins
How do some animals supplement their diet when deficient in nutrients?
Birds may eat snail shells for calcium.
Tortoises ingest stones to aid digestion.
Herbivores may lick salt from rocks for minerals.
