Unit 3.1: Nutrition
Nutrients: the energy needed for metabolic processes in the body and to maintain homeostasis (INSERT
DEFINICIÖN DE HOMEOSTASIS)
Food: the combination of several nutrients that influence the function of the human body. When you eat,
food is digested, absorbed, and then transported by the circulatory system to each cell, where it’s
metabolized, providing a source of energy for cell function.
Macronutrients: nutrients needed by the body in large amounts to maintain health
Most of them provide energy.
Micronutrients: are needed by the body in smaller amounts, but they play a very important role in several
physiologic functions.
All of them are essential and the majority have to be supplied by food, but there are some that our body
synthetizes.
Minerals: mainly found in meat, fish, dairy products, cereals, and green vegetables
Ca: (calcium) essential for bone structure and muscle contraction
Fe: (iron) forms part of hemoglobin
-Inorganic compounds that have to be supplied through food and fluids
-Important role in releasing energy, maintaining healthy blood, teeth and bones, muscle function, and
maintaining cellular fluid balance.
Vitamins: mainly found in fruit, vegetables, fish oil and some meats
e.g: Vitamin C: important role in the healing process
-They play important roles, assisting the enzymes to break down carbs, fats and proteins
-Important in healing the body, inmunuty, blood and bone health
-Two groups:
Water soluble: most of them are proteins. An excess can be removed easily through urine (e.g.:
Vitamin C)
Fat soluble: insoluble in water. Most of them are lipids. They can be stored in the adipose tissue (fat
tissue) and build high concentrations, which is toxic (e.g.: Vitamin D)
Unit 3.1: Nutrition 1
, Glucose:
It’s a monosaccharide composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (CHO) in a 1:2:1 ratio
*Lipids are made with the same elements (C, H, and O) but in a different ratio: very little oxygen and many
carbon and hydrogen molecules.
Monosaccharides: the basic unit of carbohydrates.
Consists of one molecule and it’s what we
commonly call sugar. Easily absorbed in the
digestive system.
e.g.: glucose
Disaccharides: made by two monosaccharides
e.g.: maltose
Oligosaccharide: carbohydrates with 3-9
monosaccharides
Polysaccharide: carbs with more than 10
monosaccharides.
Glucose molecules can combine to form disaccharides and polysaccharides through
CONDENSATION
Condensation polymerization is a chemical process by which (2) molecules are joined to make a larger
and more complex molecule.
This reaction involves removing a water molecule.
The Hydroxyl group (OH) from one molecule reacts with the hydrogen atom of another OH molecule and
they join together (OH + H = H2O). There’s a free oxygen remaining, that joins both molecules together
(O-bridge).
This is an anabolic reaction (creating large molecules from smaller ones by consuming ATP or energy).
Two monosaccharides (glucose) are joined together to form a disaccharide (maltose)
Unit 3.1: Nutrition 2
Nutrients: the energy needed for metabolic processes in the body and to maintain homeostasis (INSERT
DEFINICIÖN DE HOMEOSTASIS)
Food: the combination of several nutrients that influence the function of the human body. When you eat,
food is digested, absorbed, and then transported by the circulatory system to each cell, where it’s
metabolized, providing a source of energy for cell function.
Macronutrients: nutrients needed by the body in large amounts to maintain health
Most of them provide energy.
Micronutrients: are needed by the body in smaller amounts, but they play a very important role in several
physiologic functions.
All of them are essential and the majority have to be supplied by food, but there are some that our body
synthetizes.
Minerals: mainly found in meat, fish, dairy products, cereals, and green vegetables
Ca: (calcium) essential for bone structure and muscle contraction
Fe: (iron) forms part of hemoglobin
-Inorganic compounds that have to be supplied through food and fluids
-Important role in releasing energy, maintaining healthy blood, teeth and bones, muscle function, and
maintaining cellular fluid balance.
Vitamins: mainly found in fruit, vegetables, fish oil and some meats
e.g: Vitamin C: important role in the healing process
-They play important roles, assisting the enzymes to break down carbs, fats and proteins
-Important in healing the body, inmunuty, blood and bone health
-Two groups:
Water soluble: most of them are proteins. An excess can be removed easily through urine (e.g.:
Vitamin C)
Fat soluble: insoluble in water. Most of them are lipids. They can be stored in the adipose tissue (fat
tissue) and build high concentrations, which is toxic (e.g.: Vitamin D)
Unit 3.1: Nutrition 1
, Glucose:
It’s a monosaccharide composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (CHO) in a 1:2:1 ratio
*Lipids are made with the same elements (C, H, and O) but in a different ratio: very little oxygen and many
carbon and hydrogen molecules.
Monosaccharides: the basic unit of carbohydrates.
Consists of one molecule and it’s what we
commonly call sugar. Easily absorbed in the
digestive system.
e.g.: glucose
Disaccharides: made by two monosaccharides
e.g.: maltose
Oligosaccharide: carbohydrates with 3-9
monosaccharides
Polysaccharide: carbs with more than 10
monosaccharides.
Glucose molecules can combine to form disaccharides and polysaccharides through
CONDENSATION
Condensation polymerization is a chemical process by which (2) molecules are joined to make a larger
and more complex molecule.
This reaction involves removing a water molecule.
The Hydroxyl group (OH) from one molecule reacts with the hydrogen atom of another OH molecule and
they join together (OH + H = H2O). There’s a free oxygen remaining, that joins both molecules together
(O-bridge).
This is an anabolic reaction (creating large molecules from smaller ones by consuming ATP or energy).
Two monosaccharides (glucose) are joined together to form a disaccharide (maltose)
Unit 3.1: Nutrition 2
