Nutrition is the essential organic nutrients living organisms require for growth, maintenance, reproduction and repair. This is an essential process for the organism’s survival. Living organisms require energy to survive; this energy is derived from nutrients, or food. Ingestion, digestion, absorption and excretion are the stages of processing food. Heterotrophs are organisms which cannot synthesise their own food and are therefore totally reliant on organic substances for nutrition. Animals are heterotrophs and are divided into three categories; herbivores, carnivores and omnivores depending on how they obtain their food. Herbivores: eat mainly plant material, seeds or fruit. (Gordon McL Dryden, 2008). Omnivores: eat both vegetable and animal material. Carnivores: eat meat (they can also eat insects and fish).Plants are autotrophs, they synthesise organic substances from inorganic molecule using sunlight energy.
All animals, fungi, most protists and prokaryotes are heterotrophs (Raven et al. 2009), animals which cannot live on inorganic nutrients alone. They obtain the organic nutrients they require from the products of photosynthesis produced by autotrophs. The ability of an animal to feed itself is closely related to its reproductive success. According to (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutrition (3/3/11, 12:44)) there are six main classes of nutrients required by animals. These nutrients are either macronutrients (high quantities required) or micronutrients (small quantities required). The macronutrients include carbohydrates, fats, protein, and water. The micronutrients are mainly minerals and vitamins.
Many nutrients and vitamins which animals need to survive cannot be synthesised and must be supplied in the diet, these nut...
... middle of paper ...
...rganic sources; Broomrapes are parasitic plants, they are non photosynthetic and obtain water and all required nutrients from the root of their host plants.
In conclusion living organisms require many nutrients. These nutrients are required to ensure energy is available for growth, maintenance, reproduction and repair. Some nutrients are needed in high amounts whereas others only in low amounts. All living organisms require different nutrients for survival however if heterotrophs or autotrophs lack essential nutrients and cannot obtain these in their diet they will show signs of deficiency and eventually die.
Works Cited
Animal nutrition science (Gordon McL Dryden, 2008)
Biology (Raven et al. 2009)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutrition (3/3/11, 12:44)
New Higher Biology (J Torrance, C Stevenson, J Fullarton, C Marsh, J Simms 2nd Revised edition,2000)
In the year 2010, the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead was released. In the film, Australian native Joe Cross has realized that his health is worsening very fast. So Cross finally decides that he will turn his life around by taking an extreme diet that will deprive him of macronutrients for 60 days. Macronutrients are nutrients found in foods other than fruits and vegetables. Micronutrients are those nutrients found in fruits and vegetables. Micronutrients provide minerals such as Vitamin A, Iodine, Iron, Folate, and Zinc. While the body does not need these in large amounts, they are essential to the body because they help develop disease prevention and promote well-being. Micronutrients are important to include
1. There are two main groups when it comes to nutrition. The Macronutrients and the Micronutrients.
Carbohydrates, fats, and protein are the three nutrients in food. Carbohydrates consist of foods like starches, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and sugars. Fats are foods such as butter, margarine, salad dressing, oil, nuts, meat, poultry, fish and some dairy products. Foods that provide protein include meat, poultry, fish, cheese, milk, dairy products, eggs, and dried beans.
...d molecules without eating other organisms or substances that come from other organisms. And heterotrophs are organisms that get organic food molecules by eating other organisms or substances that come from other organisms.
There are many things which make humans up. And there are also many things that we cannot live without. Some people may not be able to live without their cell phones or without the internet in today’s society. Although we continue to act as if material things are the most important things to us, I believe what is most important is what we cannot actually live without and those things are simply carbon dioxide and oxygen. Although we cannot live without those elements, us humans need food to keeps us fueled throughout our daily lives. Carbohydrates and starches are one of the three basic things which keeps our body fueled, good carbohydrates keep us fueled with good energy, however; bad carbohydrates keep us fueled with bad energy for a short
When one hears the three words: vitamins, nutrients, and minerals, they think of one thing-being healthy and noticing what your intake is daily. Nutrition is all about vitamins and nutrients. Firstly, vitamins are an organic compound required by the body in small amounts of metabolism, to protect health, and for proper growth of children. Vitamins also assist in the formation of hormones, blood cells, nervous systems chemicals, and genetic material. There are 13 well-identified vitamins. Some examples of the 13 well-identified vitamins are: A, D, E, and K-fat contained foods, B, C-consumed immediately. A well known and commonly used in commercials for orange juice vitamin is vitamin C. Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is important in the synthesis and maintenance of connective tissues. The lack of vitamin C will result in a sickness called scurvy. Scurvy harms the gums, mucous membranes, and the skin. Another well-known vitamin and is also used to commercial to give more information about this beverage is the vitamin in milk. The vitamin in milk is vitamin D. If you do not drink milk and obtain this vitamin, your bones and teeth will become soft and weak. Lacking one or more of the 13 well-identified vitamins will cause sickness and weakness to your body. Secondly, nutrients are how the body assimilates certain compounds. Nutrients are classified in 5 major groups: proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. One of the five nutrients is carbohydrate. The carbohydrate group principally consists of sugar, starch, dextrin, cellulose, and glycogen. In more basic terms, carbohydrates are sugars needed by human and other living organisms. Some types of foods that contain carbohydrates would be candies, ice cream, fruit juice, soda, chocolate bars etc. Lastly, vitamins are connected to minerals. Minerals are also a very important part of a healthy person. There are 11 major groups of minerals. They are: calcium, chromium, copper, iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, selenium, and zinc. All these terms look very familiar if one has taken chemistry. These are the elements of our world. One of the more common minerals that most people have heard of is calcium. Calcium also helps with the structure and strength of teeth and bones. Vitamins and minerals work together to help humans maintain a healthy body. For example, vitamin D works with calcium to help for and maintain the strength of teeth and bones.
An optimal diet can be defined as the following; a diet that maximizes health and longevity and, therefore, prevents nutrient deficiencies, reduces risks for diet-related chronic diseases, and is composed of foods that are available, safe and palatable (Kudlackova, Babinska & Valachovicova, 2005). With this in mind, one can first inquire which nutrients are lacking from diets comprised highly of meat. On the basis of proteins, plants are much richer in non-essential amino acids in comparison to meat. Other nutrients that are missing from diets that consist largely of meat include; carbohydrates, antioxidative vitamins, minerals, fiber and vitamin C (Kudlackova, Babinska & Valachovicova, 2005).
The macronutrients a person consumes are what the body needs to function properly. They are the nutrients from protein, fats and carbohydrates that make up a person's daily nutrition. The amount of macronutrients and ratio of one to the other is what people alter to achieve a certain result. For example, lowering carbs and fats while amping up on protein is what body builders do to gain more muscle. Runners will lower protein while increasing carbs to give themselves a rush for a big races.
The human body requires small amounts of nutrients in microgram or milligram quantities in our diet because it cannot synthesize the necessary amounts on its own. These nutrients are considered micronutrients. Micronutrients are a combination of water, vitamins, and minerals. Vitamins are organic compounds that do not provide energy, but are essential to the body in helping “aid in metabolism, as well as the growth, development and maintenance of body tissues” (Byrd-Bredbenner, Moe and Beshgetoor 402). Vitamins are broken down into two groups, water-soluble and fat-soluble. The water-soluble vitamins are the B-vitamins, and vitamin C. The fat-soluble vitamins are A, D, E, and K. Minerals are needed in even smaller amounts, however these inorganic substances are necessary for “cell metabolism, nerve impulse transmission and growth and development” (Byrd-Bredbenner, Moe and Beshgetoor 485). Minerals can be categorized into major or trace minerals. The major minerals include Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, and Sulfur. Trace minerals are Iron, Zinc, Copper, Manganese, Iodine, Selenium, Chromium, Fluoride, Molybdenum and Ultratrace minerals.
Nutrition is the process of nurturing or being nourished; the total of all the processes that a plant or animal uses to take in and process food substances to maintain a healthy life. A healthy nutrition life style requires a balanced diet of food selected from the five basic food groups, fruits, vegetables, naturally calcium rich dairy products or calcium enriched products, whole grains, and protein (lean meat fish, peas and beans). Other nutritional factors should also be considered. Most fruits and vegetables are better if they are consumed raw because heating destroys some of the healthy nutrients. Steaming and broiling food is better than boiling or frying foods. Preparing fresh fruits and vegetables is better than processed or prepared
An omnivore diet involves taking both animal and plant foods. It is the most common diet among humans. The diet consists of lean meats a good source of high-quality proteins, vitamins such as Vitamin B and E, minerals such as zinc, magnesium and iron. These vitamins and minerals function to fight serious diseases such as heart disease, stroke obesity among others. In other words, this diet is complete, it consist of foods from the five food groups. While people take a balanced diet (all essential nutrients), they also consume other harmful nutrients such as excess intake of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and trans fats that increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. People who take more red meat and processed meat are at risk of heart
“If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise not too little not too much, we would have food the safest way of health” (Barasi.E.M, 2003). This essay is going to discuss on the important of six essential nutrients in human body. According to PosnerB.M (1998), he define essential nutrients as a nutrients that the body cannot synthesize on its own-or not to an adequate amount and must be provided by the died. Oxford dictionary (2009), also define essential nutrients as are those nutrients that are required by the body and cannot be synthesise in the adequate amount to meet requirement, so must be provided by the diet. Essential nutrients are those found to be essential to human life and optimal function, Williams.M. H (2006).There are six main type of nutrients used to maintain body health. They are carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and water. They must be in balance for the body to function properly.
All of these substances serve one purpose or another when consumed into the body. Carbohydrates, for example, are broken down in the body to provide energy for the body to perform reactions and to regain stamina. Protein helps muscles to recover stronger than before as well as help skin and hair cells to develop. Some substances, such as fat and sugar, can be misinterpreted as being harmful to the body. However, fats and sugars are vital to the human body and without them certain processes within the body could not take place ("What's In Food", Nutriti...
Without food you will be starving to death. With foods it keeps your body alive and kicking with the nutrients and minerals you intake it keeps your energy level at high. The food groups that contributes to the sustenance of life includes; Glow foods such as Vegetables and Fruits, Grains. Grow foods such as dairy, meat and other alternatives of meat with rich in protein that helps us grow big and strong. Go foods that provides energy such as bread rice and any other foods that primarily provides carbohydrates.
Plant nutrition is area of plant biology that is of the utmost importance for the proliferation of plants. Without proper nutrition, plants would simply cease to exist unless drastic alterations were made. There are certain elements that are required for the plant to grow and reproduce; these elements are known as essential elements. There are three requirements of an essential element: the element must be required for the completion of the plant’s life cycle, the element must not be replaceable by another element in whole, and finally the element must be direction involved in the metabolism of the plant. Chemical compounds that are involved in proper nutrition have been designated as nutrients, and further classified as macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients are needed for growth, metabolism, and many other functions, but are designated as “macro” because they are required in larger amounts. Macronutrients include carbohydrates, proteins, and fat molecules. Micronutrients have a much wider function that depends on the exact micronutrient. Micronutrients are designated as so because they are needed in much smaller amounts when compared to macronutrients. Examples of micronutrients include vitamins and minerals.