Carbohydrate structures:
Cellulose, starch and glycogen (polysaccharides)
Broken down into
Maltose (disaccharides) COMPLEX SUGARS
Broken down into
Glucose (monosaccharide) SIMPLE SUGARS
Why we need carbohydrates
- They provide us with energy
- Plants feed in an autotrophic way and they make carbohydrates by a process called photosynthesis. They capture sunlight which we brake down through respiration
- Unused carbohydrates turn into fats and get stored beneath the skin
Protein structures:
Proteins are made from amino acids that join together in different sequences to form large molecules. These amino acids are made of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulphur and oxygen.
Why we need proteins:
- Used as building blocks for parts of cells
- Contained within cell membranes
- Help muscles move
- Contained in cells as haemoglobin , carry oxygen to the parts of the body
- Contained as collagen in bones and skin
- Contained as Keratin in hair and skin
- Some proteins are enzymes and help speed up reactions
- Some proteins, act as anti-bodies and destroy viruses and bacteria
- Some proteins are hormones, such as insulin that helps correct sugar levels in the body
- Proteins are used up to provide energy if a person does not have carbohydrates or fats left in his body
Fat structure:
Made of glycerol and fatty acids
Why we need fats:
- A lot of energy
- To make cell membranes
- Stored under skin as a heat insulin
Vitamin C or absorbic acid
Found in citrus fruits
It is often used as a preservative but it is also good for you
Uses:
Helps In the formation of collage
Helps you to not suffer from scurvy
Vitamin D
Found in:
- Fatty foods made by animals, such as fish oils, egg yolks and milk
- We make vitamin D in our skin cells in the presence of sunlight
If we eat a lot of calcium without eating vitamin D products the bones will not absorb the calcium and hence be soft. The deficiency disease for vitamin D is rickets.
Iron
Needed in the production of haemoglobin, a red molecule, which is found in the red blood cells. Haemoglobin joins up with oxygen molecules and is then carried around the body in the blood to the cells that need it for respiration.
No iron results in no respiration and hence no break down of food for energy. Deficiency of iron is anaemia (people feel tired easily)
Water
Metabolic reaction, in the cytoplasm can only take place with the presence of water
Water helps transport substances; Blood plasma is mostly water with a lot of substances dissolved in it. Without enough water the blood becomes thick and then every cells will not be provided with nutrients.
Water is also needed in chemical reactions
Evaporation of water from the skin helps to cool us.
