Biology, summary unit 2, nutrition and digestion
Basics 1, food and nutrients
Functions of nutrients and dietary fibre
● Foodstuffs: any product that you eat or drink
- Plant-based foodstuffs: roots, stems, leaves, fruits, vegetables and seeds of
certain plants.
- Animal-based foodstuffs: parts of animals (meat or fish) or products from
animals (eggs and dairy products produce, e.g. milk, butter, cheese and
yoghurt)
● Nutrients: the usable components of foodstuffs.
- Building blocks: are used in making cells and tissues (particularly for growth,
development and repair in the body).
- Fuels: provide the energy needed for movement and to keep your body
temperature up and for growth, development and repairs to your body.
- Reserves: are stored in certain parts of the body.
- Protective substances: keep you healthy.
● Dietary fibre: all the indigestible parts of plant-derived food.
- Function: to help peristalsis.
Six groups of nutrients and their functions and features
● Proteins:
- Functions: primarily as building blocks, also as fuel.
- Foodstuffs that contain protein: eggs, milk, cheese, meat and fish
● Carbohydrates:
- Functions: primarily as fuel, also building blocks and reserves.
- Foodstuffs that contain carbohydrates: bananas, bread, starch, sugar, rice,
glucose and pasta
● Fats:
- Functions: primarily as fuel, aslo building blocks and reserves.
- Fats can also be stored as reserves under the skin.
- Foodstuffs that contain fats: fish, whipped cream, chips, mayonnaise and
coffee milk.
● Water:
- Functions: building blocks (transporting foodstuffs in your body)
- Foodstuffs that contain water: drinks, fruit and vegetables.
● Minerals/salts
- Function: building blocks and protective substances
- Foodstuffs that contain minerals/salts: milk, eggs, cheese, fish and meat.
Basics 1, food and nutrients
Functions of nutrients and dietary fibre
● Foodstuffs: any product that you eat or drink
- Plant-based foodstuffs: roots, stems, leaves, fruits, vegetables and seeds of
certain plants.
- Animal-based foodstuffs: parts of animals (meat or fish) or products from
animals (eggs and dairy products produce, e.g. milk, butter, cheese and
yoghurt)
● Nutrients: the usable components of foodstuffs.
- Building blocks: are used in making cells and tissues (particularly for growth,
development and repair in the body).
- Fuels: provide the energy needed for movement and to keep your body
temperature up and for growth, development and repairs to your body.
- Reserves: are stored in certain parts of the body.
- Protective substances: keep you healthy.
● Dietary fibre: all the indigestible parts of plant-derived food.
- Function: to help peristalsis.
Six groups of nutrients and their functions and features
● Proteins:
- Functions: primarily as building blocks, also as fuel.
- Foodstuffs that contain protein: eggs, milk, cheese, meat and fish
● Carbohydrates:
- Functions: primarily as fuel, also building blocks and reserves.
- Foodstuffs that contain carbohydrates: bananas, bread, starch, sugar, rice,
glucose and pasta
● Fats:
- Functions: primarily as fuel, aslo building blocks and reserves.
- Fats can also be stored as reserves under the skin.
- Foodstuffs that contain fats: fish, whipped cream, chips, mayonnaise and
coffee milk.
● Water:
- Functions: building blocks (transporting foodstuffs in your body)
- Foodstuffs that contain water: drinks, fruit and vegetables.
● Minerals/salts
- Function: building blocks and protective substances
- Foodstuffs that contain minerals/salts: milk, eggs, cheese, fish and meat.
