Life processes in animals
and plants
,AGENDA
Nutrition in different animals
Human Nutrition
Nutrition and health
Summary
, DEFINITIONS
Autotroph: an organism that produces food by photosynthesis
heterotroph: an organism that cannot produce its own food
nutrients: chemical substances needed by living organisms to live and grow
diet: the usual food or drink of a human or animal
Balanced diet: when what we eat and drink supplies us with all the nutrients we need to be healthy
ingestion: the process of taking in food
digestion: the breakdown of larger molecules into smaller ones
absorption: a process by which molecules move through the wall of the small intestine into the blood vessels
assimilation: when nutrients move into, and are used in, the cell
egestion: the elimination or nutrients from the digestive system that have not been absorbed
carnivore: an animal that reeds on meat
dentition: the type, number and arrangement of teeth in an animal's mouth
enzyme: a protein that speeds up and controls chemical reactions such as digestion or photosynthesis
hormone: a substance produced by one gland or organ of the body that travels through the bloodstream to affect other tissues and organs
malnutrition: a condition that can occur when our diet does not supply the body with all the nutrients it needs to stay healthy.
basal metabolic rate: the energy we need when at rest to keep life processes going
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, WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW PRIOR
o Plants are producers and autotrophs because they produce food during the process photosynthesis you
studied previously. Animals are Consumers, or heterotrophs, because they cannot produce their own f
They obtain nutrients through the food that they consume.
o Different animals have different diets. The diet of an organism is what it eats.
o Carnivores eat meat, herbivores eat plant material and omnivores eat both animals and plants.
o Animals need certain amounts of essential nutrients to stay healthy. These nutrients are chemical elem
or compounds that are present in the food animals eat. They are essential for energy, growth and
maintenance. When humans get all the nutrients they need in the correct quantities this is called a bala
diet.
o The three main organic compounds are carbohydrates, proteins and lipids. We eat carbohydrates to gi
energy. Proteins supply us with amino acids to build tissues. Lipids protect our vital organs and are als
reserve source of energy. Other organic compounds are nucleic acids and vitamins. Water, the main
inorganic substance that humans need, makes up approximately 60% of our cells. We also need miner
elements such as calcium, phosphorus, iron and iodine to maintain a healthy body.
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