Independent Study Unit:
Option A- Human Nutrition and Health
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Submitted On: November 24, 2008.
Option A: Human Nutrition and Health
- Nutrients are chemical substances, found in foods, which are utilized in the human body.
- Minerals, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and vitamins are essential nutrients in the human diet. Specifically, amino acids, fatty acids, and water are essential.
- Non- essential amino acids are synthesized from other simpler nitrogen compounds. For instance, tyrosine, a non- essential amino acid, is synthesized from phenylalanine, an essential amino acid.
- Protein deficiency malnutrition predominantly causes stunting, wasting, and general developmental disabilities. Other symptoms include: distended abdomen; alternating sections of light and dark hair; & dermatitis.
- Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an inherited disorder which increases the amount of phenylalanine (an amino acid) in the blood to harmful levels. Effects of untreated PKU may include mental retardation, behavioral issues, seizures, delayed development, movement disorders, a musty odor, lighter skin and hair, and skin disorders such as eczema. Mild cases may not require treatment with a special diet. The main treatment for PKU consists of permanently reducing the amount of protein in the diet. For few people, medicine may help reduce phenylalanine blood levels when used with a PKU diet. Although any brain or nervous system damage that develops is irreversible, problems are less likely to occur if a PKU diet commences by 3 weeks of age.
- Fatty acids have many variations in molecular structure. One variation is in the length, or how many carbon atoms are in the molecules. Another variation is whether there are double bonds between carbon atoms in the hydrocarbon chain or not. If there is a double bond, the fatty acid is unsaturated because the number of hydrogen atoms it can bond to is reduced. If there is solely one double bond in the hydrocarbon chain, the chain is monounsaturated; whereas, if there are more than one double bonds, the chain is considered polyunsaturated. Another variation in molecular structure which occurs with double bonds is the cis or trans orientation of the hydrogens attached to the double bonded carbon atoms. In the cis structure, both hydrogen atoms are bonded on the same side. In the trans structure, the hydrogen atoms are bonded on opposite sides. Refer to the image below for further clarification:
