DONCASTER COLLAGE

DEPARTMENT OF WELLBEING

BTEC NATIONAL AWARD/DIPLOMA IN SPORT AND EXERCISE SCIENCE

Scientific Principles - Assignment 1: Biological Chemicals

Student: Robert Foster

Date: 06/10/06 Tutor: Claire Rotherham

Biological Chemicals

In this assignment I am going to explain the structure and function of various nutrients and their use in the human body.

Proper nutrition is a key component for good heath and physical fitness. For best possible body function you must eat the right combination of nutrients they include:

Water (H2O)

The body is 70% water, although these values vary between 60% and 70%.

It provides an environment for all biochemical reactions in the body such as dissolves substances, transportation of nutrients and the lubrication of joints.

During exercise water maintains water balance and controls body temperature.

Failure to replace water can lead to dehydration which can cause serious problems such as heat exhaustion. The structure of water is below:

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates exist mainly in the form of sugars and starches and are used as a major energy source. Carbohydrates are used to create glucose which can be used right away or stored to use later. Carbohydrates are broken into two categories, simple and complex. Sugars fall into the simple category, while starches and fibres are complex carbohydrates.
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Carbohydrate molecules range from monosaccharide (single unit such as glucose) to disaccharides (two units such as sucrose) to polysaccharides (long chains, including starches, glycogen, fibres)

Monosaccharide

Monosaccharide is the simplest form of Carbohydrate. It contains carbon, hydrogen and oxygen (C6H12O6). Each molecule has twice as much hydrogen as carbon. A monosaccharide is a single unit such as one sugar.

The Structure is blow:

Disaccharides

Disaccharides are formed when two monosaccharide join together. This process of joining them is called dehydration synthesis. It is called dehydration synthesis because the water molecule is ...

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