Introduction to nutrition/the digestive system
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- What is the digestive system?
- The digestive system derives both energy and raw materials from food
- What does the digestive system do?
- The digestive system (and all digestive systems) break down the complex molecules of food into simpler molecules that can be absorbed and used
- List the four "nutritional types"
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1. Herbivores: eat only plants
2. Carnivores: eat only animals with some species specializing on certain body parts
3. Ominvores: eat plant or animal; highly variable diets
4. Decomposers: consume detris - What is detris?
- Remains of plant or animals broken down into smaller fragments by the action of microorganisims
- What does food provide to organisms?
- Energy
- What part of the brain controls appetiete?
- The hypothalamus
- What is malnourishment?
- A defficiency in one or more essential nutrients.
- What kinds of malnourishment are there?
- Protein, mineral or vitamin
- What percent of the world's population does malnourishment effect?
- At least 10%
- What are symptoms of protein defficiency (kwashiorkor)?
- Lethragy, severe animia, change in hair color, "pot-belly"
- Do animals store amino acids between feedings?
- No
- Name several inorganic ions that animals requre for a variety of structures and functions
- Calcuim, sulfer, soduim, chloride, potassium, zinc
- Which of those inorganic ions are needed in small amounts?
- Zinc
- What are the two broad groups that vitamins fall into?
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Water-soluble: precursor of a particular coenzyme i.e. folic acid, vitamin c
Fat-soluble: includes vitamins A,D,K,E, and have diverse roles - What chemical processes are involved in digestion?
- Splitting bonds between the building blocks of macromolecules and lipids
- Name four specific enzymes and list their functions
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1. Protease: works on proteins
2. Glycosidases: work on polysaccharides
3. Lipases: work on lipids
4. Nucleases: works on nucleic acids (RNA, DNA) - Name four functions of the digestive system.
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1. Movement-agitating food in specialized areas and pushing it through the system
2. Secretion-break down of lubricants, enzymes and detergents
3. Digestion-break down of large molecules into their component building blocks
4. Absorption-taking up small molecules into their cells or circulation - Name two advantages of having a 2-ended digestive tract:
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1. Animals can process food more efficiently with a two ended tract
2. reminants of the food, with bacteria that inhabit the tract form the feces