Nutrition

Process of taking in food, digesting it and utilising the absorbed nutrients to obtain energy for growth, maintenance and repair of damaged tissues

Nutrients
Chemical substances in food that are required by every living cell in the body for metabolic reactions that are vital to life. Examples; carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, minerals and vitamins

Nutrients
Are used as energy source to run the body system - Ingredients for synthesis of compounds needed in our body - Building blocks in the growth and tissue repair

Modes of nutrition
Ways of obtaining and using nutrients
Nutrition
Autotrophic Heterotrophic

Chemosynthesis Photosynthesis Green plants Bacteria

Holozoic
All animals and carnivorous plant

Saprophytic Bacteria & fungi

Parasitic
Bacteria, fleas, lice, fungi and worms

Autotrophic nutrition
Autos (self) ; trophos (feed) Organisms that synthesise complex organic compounds from inorganic substances using light or chemical energy able to produce their own food

Photosynthesis
Process for green plants to produce organic molecules from carbon dioxide and water using light energy.

Chemosynthesis
Process for certain types of bacteria to synthesis organic molecules using chemical energy released from the oxidation of inorganic substances (such as hydrogen sulphide and ammonia)
Ultra structure of ammonia sulfate-sensitive ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, Nitrosomonas sp.

Heterotrophs
Organisms that cannot synthesise their own nutrients Cannot make their own food and obtain their food in organic form

Holozoic nutrition
Organisms that obtain their food by consuming other organisms, digesting them and absoring the nutrients Examples; Human, nearly all animals, carnivorous plants (pitcher plants)

Types of animals taking holozoic nutrition

Herbivores
Feed on plants only

Carnivores
Feed on animals only

Omnivores
Feed on both plants and animals

Saprophytic nutrition (Saprophytism)

Organisms (saprophytes) feed on dead and decaying organic matter (e.g. fungi, bacteria)

How a saprophyte obtains its nutrients?

Example : Mucor & Rhizopus (bread mould)
Hyphae products Mass of hyphae = are Digestedrelease Enzymes digest Sporangium enzyme into : produces digestiveby hyphae mycelium organic absorbed complex sporesbread the for reproduction molecules in bread into simple, soluble molecules

(extracellular digestion )

Importance of saprophytes
As decomposers Allow essential materials (e.g. C, N) to be recycled in the ecosystem
Complex organic substances
Enzyme from saprophytes

Simple soluble compounds

To observe Mucor

Why is it necessary to leave the moist bread uncovered for 30 minutes ?

Ans: Because the spore of Mucor are carried by air current. They can drop onto the bread and then germinate.

What are the thread-like structures growing on the surface of the bread ?

Ans: The thread-like structures are used for feeding. They are called hyphae which can produce enzymes for digesting the organic food.

Parasitic nutrition (Parasitism)

Organisms (parasite) obtain organic compounds from other living organism of a different species (host) Parasite is benefited Host is harmed

How a tapeworm obtains its nutrient?

Live inside the small intestine of human Food in small intestine is already digested Can be absorbed directly through the body wall of tapeworm by diffusion

Structural adaptations of tapeworm

Head bears hooks and suckers
To attach itself to the intestinal wall of the host Prevent being egested by peristalsis of intestine

Cymothoa

Structural adaptations of tapeworm

Long, flattened body To increase the surface area for more absorption of digested food by diffusion

Body covered by cuticle & secretes anti-enzyme To protect itself from the attack of digestive enzymes from the host

Each host can only house one tapeworm because it is too long. -To reproduce by having both male and female reproductive organs (testes and ovaries)

Parasitic nutrition (Parasitism)

Effect on Host:
Lose weight & become weaker Parasite produces toxic compounds harm the host May block the ileum Difficult movement of food along the intestine Hooks & suckers damage hosts intestinal wall

To observe a Tapeworm

Does the tapeworm have a mouth ?

Ans: The tapeworm does not have a mouth.

Does the tapeworm have a digestive tract ? Why ? Ans: No. It is not necessary for a tapeworm to digest food because it obtains food directly from its hosts ileum by diffusion.

BALANCED DIET Definition: correct proportions of the major nutrients in the food consumed to meet the daily requirements of the body 7 classes of foods: Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins, water, fiber

THE NECESSITY OF BALANCED DIET

provides energy carbohydrates, fats - the unit of energy value is joule per gram (J g) - 4.2 joules of energy are needed to raise the temperature of 1g of water by 1C
chemical building blocks for growth and repair of damaged tissues protein

metabolic reactions water

stimulates defecation and peristalsis - fibre

WHY DO WE NEED ENERGY?

A lot of chemical reactions that take place in our cells require energy Examples: protein synthesis, cellular division, muscle contraction and active transport

FACTORS AFFECTING ENERGY REQUIREMENTS

AGE SEX BODY SIZE STATE OF HEALTH CLIMATE ACTIVITY

HOW MUCH ENERGY IS IN THE FOOD?

TYPES OF FOOD QUANTITY(g) ENERGY CONTENT (kJ per 100g) 1050 500 150

Bread Potatoes Coke

100 100 200

Banana
Fried chicken

50
200

300
1800

Total energy = ?

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