Chapter – 4

The Chemicals of life

Nutrition
Nutrition is taking in nutrients which are organic substances and mineral ions,
containing raw materials and energy for growth and tissue repair, absorbing and
assimilating them. Nutrition is one of the characteristics of living organisms. All
organisms do it; they do it to obtain energy for vital activities and raw materials needed
for growth and repair.

Every Individual needs to take in a certain amount of each nutrient daily, depending on
their age, size, sex and activity.

There are 7 Types of nutrients, these are:

 Carbohydrates

 Proteins

 Fats

 Vitamins

 Minerals

 Roughages

 Water

Carbohydrates, proteins, fats and vitamins are all organic substances. This means that
they are made by living organisms (plants) and contain carbon atoms in their structures.
Plants make organic substances from inorganic materials like carbon dioxide, water and
inorganic minerals. Animals are unable to do this.
About 80% of our weight is water. Water is perhaps a very essential nutrient we should
take in.

 Inside every living organism, chemical reactions are going on all the time. These
reactions are called metabolism

 Metabolic reaction can take place if the chemicals which are reacting are dissolved
in water.

 Water is an important solvent

 It makes up most of the blood plasma which red blood cells, nutrients, hormones
and other materials are carried in.

 It helps in lowering the body temperature in hot conditions by secreting it as sweat

on the skin; the sweat evaporates using heat energy from the body, thus lowering
the temperature.

 Water is also needed to dissolve enzymes and nutrients in the alimentary canal, so
that digestion can take place

Carbohydrates:

This nutrient is an organic compound composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.

Function:

It is used as an energy resource, essential in respiration to release energy.

It is used in creating the cellulose, the substance forming cell walls of plant cells.

Carbohydrates are 3 types:

Monosaccharides:

 The smallest and simplest form

 Water soluble

 Chemical formula C6H12O6

 Examples: Glucose-Fructose-Galactose

 Sources: Fruits-Honey
Disaccharides:

 Each molecule consists of two Monosaccharide

joined together

 Water soluble

 Examples: Lactose-Sucrose-Maltose

 Sources: Table sugar- Milk

Polysaccharides:

 Each molecule has many joined monosaccharide

forming a long chain.

 Insoluble in water

 Examples: Starch-Glycogen-Cellulose

 Sources: Bread-Potatoes-Pasta, Cellulose in plant cells and Glycogen in livers.

 Monosaccharide and Disaccharides are sugars, they are reducing for Benedict’s

reagent, except for the disaccharide sucrose, and it is non-reducing.

 Polysaccharides are not considered as sugars and don’t have a sweet taste.

Excess polysaccharides are stored in the liver and muscles.

Lipids (Fats):

These are composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. But their ratios are different than
that of carbohydrates. One fat molecule is made of a glycerol unit and three molecules
of fatty acids.

Fats are essential in a diet because they are needed to:

 Release high amounts of energy

 Make cell membranes

 Store them under the skin to insulate heat.

 Forming a layer of fats around organs to protect them from damage

 Storing energy (better than glycogen)

When fats are respired, they produce about twice as much energy as carbohydrates.
Proteins:

These are also organic compounds; they contain the elements Carbon, Hydrogen,
Oxygen, Nitrogen and sometimes Phosphorus or Sulfur.
A molecule of protein is a long chain of simpler units called amino acids.

These amino acids are linked together by a “peptide bond”.

Types of protein:

 Animal Protein: It contains the higher biological value because it contains all
essential amino acids (Meat, Milk, Fish, Eggs etc).

 Plant Protein: It contains a lower biological value to humans because it contains

fewer essential amino acids (Cereals, Peas, Beans etc).

Needs of proteins:

 Making and new body cells

 Growth and repair

 Making enzymes (they are proteins in nature)

 Build up hormones

 Making antibodies

Although proteins are needed in high amounts, the body will only absorb as much as
needed, so excess protein is deaminated in the liver and excreted as urea.
Food Tests:

Starch Test:

 Put the sample in a test tube

 Add water to make it a solution

 Add iodine solution

 If starch is present the solution changes colour from

yellowish brown to Blue Black.

 If starch is not present the solution remains yellowish brown.

Reducing sugars (carbohydrates) test:

Note: This test is only applicable on all sugars (monosaccharide and disaccharide)
EXCEPT FOR SUCROSE.

 Add sample to a test tube

 Add Benedict’s Reagent

 Put test tube in water bath for heating

 If reducing sugars are present the solution turns from blue to greenish, yellow,
orange, red

 If reducing sugars are not present the solution remains blue.

Proteins Test:

 Put the sample in a test tube

 Add water to make a solution

 Add Biuret Reagent

 If proteins are present in the solution turns Purple

 If proteins are not present the solution remains blue.

Note: Biuret Reagent is blue in colour and made of copper sulphate and a small amount
of sodium hydroxide.

Fats Test:

 Add sample to a test tube

 Add ethanol

 Add water and shake well

 If fats are present the solution becomes unclear

 If fats are not present the solution remains clear

General Table:

Nutrient Test Colour Positive Negative

Starch Iodine Solution Yellow/Brown Blue/Black Yellow/Brown
Carbohydrates Benedict’s Blue Red (Fire) Blue
Proteins Biuret reagent Blue Purple Blue
Fats Ethanol/water - Cloudy Clear

Compares some properties of carbohydrates fats and proteins:

Carbohydrates Fats Proteins

Elements they C,H,O C,H,O C,H,O,N
contain
Smaller molecules Simple sugars Fatty acid and Amino acids
of which they are (Monosaccharides) glycerol
made of
Solubility in water Sugars are soluble; Insoluble Some are soluble
polysaccharides are and some are
insoluble insoluble
Why organisms Easily available Storage of energy Making cells,
need them energy (17 KJ/g) (39 KJ/g) insulation; antibodies,
making cell enzymes,
membranes haemoglobin; also
used for energy.
DNA:

 DNA is deoxyribonucleic acid

 It is a chemical that makes up our genes and chromosomes, a material that we
inherit from our parents
 The structure shows a small part of DNA molecule
 It is two long strands, with a series of bases arranged along it
 The bases on the two strands are held together by bonds forming cross links
called helix
 The four basis are A, C, G, T
 T and A always link up with each other
 C and G always link up with each other
 The bases always pairs up in this way
 The sequence in the DNA determines that you are a human not tree and the
other personal characteristics like hair colour and blood group etc.