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Nutr 307 > Nutrients > Flashcards

Nutrients Flashcards

1
Q

Define a nutrient

A

Either chemical element ot compound that is used in the metabolic processes of, or forms and integral component of physiology of an organism

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2
Q

Calcium and sodium are __

A

Calcium and sodium are ionizable

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3
Q

WHat are the criteria for essentiality?

A
  • If the absence form the diet results in characteristic signs of a deficiency disease
  • If these signs are prevented only by the nutrient itself or its precursor
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4
Q

Name essential AA

A 
Isoleucine
Leucine
Lysine
Methionine
Phenylalanine
Threonine
Tryptophan
Valine
Histidine
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5
Q

Why are some fatty acids essential and give examples of them

A 
Human body can make double bonds only starting with 8th position
However, we need FA with double bonds in 3rd position
Linoleic acid (LA) (C18:2 n-6), an omega-6 fatty acid, and α-linolenic acid (ALA) (C18 n-3),
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6
Q

What are the essential fat soluble vitamins?

A 
Vitamin A (retinol)
Vitamin D (ergocalciferol, cholecalciferol)
Vitamin E (tocopherol)
Vitamin K (naphthoquinones)
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7
Q

What are the essential water soluble vitamins?

A 
Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
Vitamin B3 (niacin)
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
Vitamin B7 (biotin)
Vitamin B9 (folic acid)
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)
Vitamin C
Choline
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8
Q

What are the roles of choline

A

Metabolism
Nervous system function
Used to make important metabolites (acetylcholine, platelet-activating factor, betaine)
Ensures the structural integrity and signaling functions of cell membranes
Substrate for phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis

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9
Q

What is phosphatidylcholine

A

Major phospholipid that makes up cell membrane

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10
Q

Describe de novo synthesis of choline

A

Three successive methylations of Phosphatidylethanolamine-> phosphatidylcholine which is then broken down-> choline

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11
Q

What are the sources of choline

A

All foods as they all contain cell membranes

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12
Q

What are the essential macrominerals?

A 
Calcium
Chloride ion
Phosphorus
Potassium
Magnesium
Sulphur
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13
Q

What are the essential trace minerals?

A 
Cobalt
Copper
Fluoride ion
Iodine
Iron
Manganese
Nickel 
Sodium
Selenium
Zinc
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14
Q

Name an essential element that might be bad for our health

A

Seleniumis an essential trace mineral that assists with cognitive function and fertility.
But it might be a risk factor for T2 diabetes

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15
Q

Define essential fatty acids

A

EFAs are substrates for a class of molecules in the body called eicosanoids (prostaglandins, leukotrienes and thromboxanes)

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16
Q

In which functions of the body do EFAs play an important role?

A 
Immune
Inflammatory response
Blood clotting
Vasodilation
Kidney function
Cognitive function
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17
Q

What are the consequences of EFA deficiency?

A

Growth retardation, sparse hair growth, dry skin, general weakness, depression, pour wound healing, increased susceptibility to infection
Neurologic problems

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18
Q

Describe essential fatty acid excess

A

No UL
Doesn’t seem to cause severe problems
May cause excessive bleeding (slow blood clotting)

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19
Q

Describe the essentiality of Vit A and the consequences of it’s deficiency

A

1) Vitamin A (retinol) is essential for proper maintenance of
epithelial cells; deficiency of this vitamin causes mucus-secreting cells to be replaced by keratin producing cells, leading to xerosis (“abnormal dryness”).
Primarily affects eye function (night blindness, eye xerosis which causes ulcerations and eventually leading to blindness)
2) Associated with poor lipid absorption (vitamin A is a lipid- soluble nutrient); persons with diseases involving the absorption of lipids are at risk for vitamin A deficiency

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20
Q

Name a dangerous characteristic of VIt A and other retinoids

A

They are teratogenic

teratogenis an agent that can disturb the development of the embryo or fetus.

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21
Q

How is Vitamin A connected to gene control?

A

Ligand for retinoic acid receptor (RAR) and retinoid x
receptor (RXR), transcription factors belonging to the nuclear receptor superfamily of transcription factors.
o Retinoic acid binds to nuclear RA receptor (RAR), which together with retinoid X receptors (RXR) regulate expression of specific target genes

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22
Q

Where is vit a found?

A

in brightly colored fruits and vegetables

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23
Q

What are the consequences of Vit A excess?

A

 birth defects (e.g., increased risk in babies born to women taking >10,000 IU/day of preformed Vitamin A before the 7th week of gestation)
 reduced bone mineral density (risk factor for osteoporosis)
 weight loss, headache, vision problems (blurred, double), dry itchy skin, hair loss, anemia, teeth discoloration enlarged liver and spleen

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24
Q

In which enzymes can iron be found?

A

found in enzymes involved in carrying or metabolizing oxygen

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25
What type of mineral is iron classified as?
As micromineral
26
Why is iron so important?
Used as a prosthetic group by many biologically important proteins, e.g., heme groups of hemoglobin, myoglobin, cytochrome c; peroxidases; hydroxylases; Oxygen transport
27
Is iron metabolism complex?
Yes, it involves many different proteins | Furthermore, Many factors affect iron balance, including genetic factors
28
What are some of the sources of iron loss?
shedding of epithelial surfaces, through intestine (occult blood loss); menstruation, lactation
29
What are the risk factors of anemia?
alcoholics, patients with infectious, inflammatory, or neoplastic diseases
30
What is the prevalence of iron deficiency?
80% of the population
31
Describe secondary hemochromatosis
Secondary iron overload results from excess absorption of iron, repeated blood transfusions, or excess oral intake, typically in patients with disorders of erythropoiesis. Consequences can include systemic symptoms, liver disorders, cardiomyopathy, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, and arthropathy
32
Describe what is iodine and what is it needed for?
 A halogen; classified as a “micromineral”  Necessary for normal thyroid function  Essential substrate for the synthesis of thyroid hormones
33
Name thyroid hormones and explain their importance
triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) Thyroid hormones control many aspects of energy (carbohydrate and fat) metabolism; ligands of TR receptor (a transcription factor belonging to the nuclear receptor superfamily of transcription factors)-> affect GENES o The thyroid hormones are essential for development and growth, and thus a severe iodine deficiency can lead to developmental brain damage
34
Consequences of iodine deficiency
Increased fetal and infant mortality, neurologic defects and mental retardation (cretinism), decreased reproductive fitness, hypothyroidism, goiter (hypertrophy of the thyroid gland
35
Describe secondary iodine deficiency
These are thyroid related disorders anemia, arthritis, eye enlargement and inflammation, hair loss and premature graying of hair; inflammatory bowel diseases, depression
36
What are the causes of goiter and its consequences
Iodine deficiency-> impaired thyroid hormone synthesis | excessive iodine -> inhibition of thyroid hormone production
37
Is excess iodine more problematic than its deficiency?
No, excess iodine develops less problems than iodine | deficiency
38
What are the consequences of excess iodine?
 Skin ulceration (“kelp acne”, high incidence in Japan where kelp is consumed in large quantities)  Impairs thyroid hormone production and causes goiter in response to decreased thyroid hormone concentration
39
How's sedentary lifestyle connected to mortality?
volume of sedentary time is connected with all-cause mortality
40
What is commensal bacteria
In commensal interactions, one species of organism benefits and the other is unaffected.
41
What is the problem with adipocyte longevity?
Adipocytes converted to adipocytes are long lived and ready to suck up energy When a person looses weight, adipocytes shrink up but there are still there and they are specialized
42
What is the building block of cholesterol?
Acetyl-CoA
43
What are the dangers of wrong bacteria in our bodies?
Bacteria may facilitate conversion of nutrients into a compound that may speed up the speed up of plaque build up
44
Describe how do bitter taste signal works and why might bitter taste recognition may differ from person to person
Taste receptor TAS2R protein (bitter taste receptor) is connected to nerve signals Bitter ligand fits into the receptor-> G-protein gets activated-> release of Ca2+ through ion channel and sending a signal via neuron interaction Some people have receptors that have higher affinity for ligands (they are more sensitive to bitter taste)
45
What is the effect of hut microbiota on leanness/adiposity status
Gut microbiota can identify leanness/adiposity of mice (they were transferred from obese person to a normal mouse-> obese mouse)
46
Which gene encodes lactase?Is it expressed all the time?
LCT gene codes for lactase | It's expression normally shuts down after weaning
47
What are polymorphisms?
the presence of genetic variation within a population, upon which natural selection can operate.
48
What are SNPs?
signal nucleotide polymorphisms - bases that differ from one individual to another
49
Exons vs introns
Exones are conserved | Introns are characteristic only for DNA
50
Most of genome is composed of __ elements. The rest is called the __
Most of genome is composed of regulatory elements. The rest is called the structural sequence
51
What are regulatory elements?
They don't code for proteins | They dictate gene expression
52
Do genes have to be close to each other to have an effect on one another?
No they can have an effect on one another even if they are far away
53
What is the name of the gene that is responsible for the absorption of dietary cholesterol? Where is it absorbed
NPC1L1 is thought to be responsible for the absorption of dietary cholesterol in the intestine
54
What can cholesterol import in the intestine be inhibited by?
By Ezetimibe- a drug that interacts with NPC1L1
55
What are the sources of cholesterol in the intestine
Bile and diet
56
Does cholesterol concentration in bile vary greatly?
No, its consistent
57
Is the absorption of dietary and biliary cholesterol the same?
No, biliary cholesterol is absorbed in the small intestine at a more proximal location
58
What is the major-limiting factor in the absorption of cholesterol?
poor micellar solubility
59
Why should fats form micelles in digestion?
It increases SA for hydrolytic enzyme activities
60
How are cholesteryl esters digested and absorbed?
Cholesteryl ester hydrolase (secreted by the pancreas) releases esterified FAs Free sterol is then solubilized within mixed micelles in the upper small intestine Uptake of dietary and endogenous CH os controlled by apical membrane-bound proteins eg NPC1L1
61
How does plant sterol absorption compare to cholesterol absorption?
Plant sterol absorption is very limited compared to CH
62
What is the effect of phytosterols on CH absorption? WHy?
Consumption of phytosterols results in decreased CH absorption and thus decreased CH circulating levels Dietary phytosterols appear to compete with each other and with CH for absorption.
63
Can genome respond to the nutrient status?
Yes, eukaryotes have mechanisms for sensing the nutrient status (availability or deficiency) e.g. transcription factors that are activated in response to availability of nutrients of deficiency of nutrients-> changes in transcription and proteins
64
What are the possible causes of problems with nutrient processing?
Inborn errors of metabolism | Acquired metabolic syndromes
65
What is Fil1/ATF4
It is a transcription factor whose translation is activated during amino acid starvation . It launches a transcriptional program that promotes cellular survival mechanisms
66
What are the most of the significant side effects associated with vitamin D toxicity? What are the forms of Vit D that figure in this toxicity
Most of the significant side effects associated with vitamin D toxicity are related to hypercalcemia. Hypercalcemia is an excess of calcium in the blood
67
Describe vitmain D receptor
target cell protein that binds vitamin D and then binds to specific sequences (vitamin D response elements) on the genome to regulate gene expression of vitamin D-dependent genes at the transcription level
68
In summer months, vitamin D is not a __ but a __
In summer months, vitamin D is not a vitamin but a prohormone
69
What are the complications of iron toxicity?
• Can lead to other disorders such as arthritis, liver disease leading to liver failure, damage to the pancreas causing diabetes, cardiac function abnormalities, impotence, abnormal pigmentation of the skin (making it look gray or bronze), thyroid deficiency, damage to the adrenal glands
70
Iron toxicity (due to excess) with genetic basis:
African hemochromatosis, porphyria, hyperferritinemia, hereditary hemochromatosis
71
What is the meaning of the fact that heme iron is absorbed better than non-heme?
heme and nonheme iron are taken up by independent mechanisms
72
What are the risk factors for anemia?
alcoholics, patients with infectious, | inflammatory, or neoplastic diseases
73
What are iron levels in the body? Where are they found?
The average person contains approximately 3-4 g of iron, and about 60% of this amount is found in blood (Hb);
74
Which gene encodes for lactose?
LCT
75
What are the variations that cause LCT gene persistence?
• The variation that causes persistence of LCT gene expression doesn’t occur in the LCT gene itself, but actually these variations occur in a neighboring gene called MCM6 gene
76
Does LCT gene in person who is lactose intolerant vary from a person who can tolerate lactose
no, they are exactly the same | In fact, the difference in gene sequence between lactose tolerance and intolerance seems to be in the MCM6 gene region
77
WHat is the role of NPC1L1?
Intestinal absorption of dietary cholesterol in the intestine
78
What can loss to sensitivity cues about nutrient status lead toÉ
Loss of sensitivity to nutrient cues can result in inappropriate metabolic response to nutrient availability or deficiency

Nutr 307 (8 decks)

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