Topic 4 - Nutrition

Question 1

What do catabolic and anabolic processes mean?

Answer 1

Catabolic = Breaking down molecules to release energy in the form of reducing power
Anabolic = Using energy and raw materials to make larger molecules for growth and maintenance

Question 2

What is the official SI unit of food energy?

Answer 2

• kilojoules (kJ)

Question 3

Which two food groups provide the bulk of the energy the body needs?

Answer 3

• carbs and fats

Question 4

How many carbons are there in glucose?

Answer 4

• glucose is a 6 carbon sugar

Question 5

What are the nine essential amino acids?

Answer 5

• isoleucine
• lysine
• threonine
• histidine
• leucine
• methionine
• phenylalanine
• tryptophan
• valine

Question 6

What are the fat soluble vitamins?

Answer 6

• A, D, E and K

Question 7

What is a general rule for the amounts of electrolytes to give a patient in an IV drip?

Answer 7

1 mmol/kg/day of each electrolyte

+ 30ml/kg/day of water

Question 8

Deficiency of Vitamin C will cause…?

Answer 8

• Scurvy

Question 9

Why does a high fibre diet lower plasma cholesterol?

Answer 9

• the fibre binds to the cholesterol and is excreted taking it with it.

Question 10

Why can humans not break down cellulose?

Answer 10

• we don’t have the enzymes to break the beta 1,4 glycosidic bonds.

Question 11

How would you calculate BMI?

Answer 11

BMI = Weight (kg)/ (height (m))^2

Question 12

What classifies someone as underweight?

Answer 12

BMI < 18.5

Question 13

What classifies someone as desirable weight?

Answer 13

BMI is 18.5-24.9

Question 14

What classifies someone as overweight?

Answer 14

BMI of 25-29.9

Question 15

What classifies someone as obese?

Answer 15

BMI of 30-34.9

Question 16

What classifies someone as severely obese?

Answer 16

BMI > 35

Question 17

What are marasmus and kwashiorkor?

Answer 17

Marasmus - lack of nutrients in diet, insufficient energy intake, muscle wastage
Kwashiorkor - lack of sufficient protein in diet so deficient in essential amino acids, fatty liver, enlarged abdomen, bilateral pitting oedema

Question 18

Why do patients with kwashiorkor have protuberant abdomens and fatty livers?

Answer 18

Protuberant abdomen - oedema, not enough proteins in blood plasma so water travels to and accumulates in interstitial fluid
Fatty livers - not enough amino acids from diet to form lipoproteins to carry fat to rest of body so sits in liver

Question 19

Why would you need to be careful providing protein rich food to kwashiorkor sufferers?

Answer 19

• there has been a downregulation of enzymes used in the urea cycle (no demand)
• Build up of ammonia due to urea cycle being overwhelmed (not used to dealing with amount of ammonia)