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UNIT – 02
Food & Nutrition

Introduction to the chapter:-

For survival and to maintain body processes, all organisms take nutrients.
Nutrients are chemical substances needed by the body. They provide energy, the
fuel of life, and repair the body cells and form new once.

We will learn in this chapter.

Introduction of nutrients and nutrition.
Importance of food to get nutrients.
Synthesis of macro molecules from micro molecules.
Autotrophic nutrition in plants.
Minerals requirements in plants for photosynthesis.
Special modes of nutrition in plants.
Heterotrophic nutrition in animals.
Nutrition in human beings and components of their food.
Concept of balanced diet and its importance.
Disorder of the gut.

Q. 1 What do you know about nutrition and nutrients?

Ans: All living organisms need energy to perform life activities, for this they
intake two categories of molecules from environment: Already synthesized high-
energy compound (Food) or raw material from new protoplasm can be
synthesized. The intake and processing of this material is called nutrition and the
material require for production of energy and synthesis of new protoplasm called
nutrients.

Q. 2 Why food is needed by the living organisms?

Ans: All living organisms need food as a source of raw material to build new
cells and tissues as they grow, and also need food as a source of energy. Food is
a kind of fuel of living organisms as automobiles require petrol or diesel. In the
living organisms, food provides essential materials to make protein and enzymes.
It also provides material to maintain various life processes as reproduction,
respiration etc.
Living organism divided into two groups according to their mode of nutrition.
1. Autotrophic
2. Heterotrophic

1. Autotrophic
Plants are autotrophic, which can synthesize their own food from inorganic raw
materials. The molecules of raw material are small and soluble to pass through
cell-membrane. Plants make their food through the process of photosynthesis.
Except plants, algae and some bacteria are also known as photosynthetic.

2. Heterotrophic
Organisms which are unable to make their own food from simple inorganic
nutrients but they obtained prepared food from their environment. Human beings
and other animals depend upon plants and other animals for their nutritional
requirement and get energy to perform their life activities.
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Q. 3 What are monomers and polymers?

Ans: Organic molecules in the living organisms are found in the form either
small or large & complex form, most of them are large and complex. The
synthesis of large molecules as atom by atom or pre-assembled smaller
molecules and hook them together. Small molecules (glucose) are used as sub-
units to synthesize longer molecules (Starch). The sub-units are called
monomers and long chains of monomers are called polymers. All polymers are
synthesized by a process called condensation. In this process, two monomers
are joined together by a removal of water molecules, as a result, a bond is
formed between two sub-units, this process is called dehydration synthesis.
Monomers Polymers
 Monosaccharide e.g. glucose  Polysaccharide e.g. Starch &
glycogen.

 Amino acids  Proteins

 Fatty acids  Fats and oils

Nutrition in plants
There is a much difference between animals and plants view points of nutrition.
Animals take food, digest it and use it to build their tissues or to produce energy.
Plants make their own food and use it for energy and growth. Mostly the plants
are autotrophic, they make their own food. Some plants are hetrotrophic and live
as parasite, saprophyte and insectivores. Parasitic plants obtained their food
from living organisms, saprophytic plants depend on dead organic matter and
insectivores plants depend on insects.

Q. 4 Explain the process of photosynthesis in plants.

Ans:- In the process of photosynthesis plants make sugar by taking carbon

dioxide from air and water from soil. A sugar molecule contains the elements of
carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.( glucose = C₆ H₁₂ O₆ ).

For the synthesis of sugar like glucose carbon dioxide provides carbon and
oxygen whereas water molecule provides hydrogen. The plants build sugar from
these simple compounds; enzymes needed for this purpose are present in the
cell and energy obtained from sun light. This process is completed in mesophyll
cells of the leaves. Water is absorbed from the soil by the root through root hair, it
passes through xylem vessels in stem, and it reaches midrib and veins of the
leaves from where it moves to mesophyll tissues. Carbon dioxide obtained from
air entering through stomata. In the mesophyll cells carbon dioxide and water
combine chemically in the presence of sun light and chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is a
green pigment which absorbs energy from sun light and makes it available to be
used for synthesis of glucose.

Briefly photosynthesis can defined as building up of sugars from carbon dioxide

and water by green plants using energy from sun light which is absorbed by
chlorophyll.
6CO₂ + 6H₂O Light energy C₆ H₁₂ O₆ + 6O₂
Carbon dioxide + Water Chlorophyll Glucose + Oxygen
Raw Material Sugar
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Q. 5 Give the name of factors which are necessary for the process of photosynthesis .
Ans: The external and internal factors are necessary for the food synthesis in plants. The
external factors are light, water, carbon dioxide and temperature and internal factor is
chlorophyll. This chlorophyll is present in chloroplast and it occurs in green parts of plant,
especially in the leaves. The following factors are necessary for the process of photosynthesis.

1. LIGHT:-
Light is essential in the process of photosynthesis because various
reaction steps necessary for the manufacturing of glucose require energy and
this energy supplied by light, as light is composed of 7 colours, only 2 colours red
and blue are used in this process. Photosynthesis is also affected by the intensity
of light. In the absence of light the chlorophyll does not develop and in weak light
slows down the rate of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis can also takes place in
the artificial light.

2. CHLOROPHYLL:-
Chlorophyll imparts green colour to the leaves and captures the
energy of sun light for use of the plant. Photosynthesis will not proceed without
chlorophyll and that is why it occurs only in those parts of the leaf or stem that
contain chlorophyll present in chloroplast.

3. CARBON DIOXODE (CO2):-

Plants get the carbon dioxide from the air. It enters the leaf through
the stomata then it is absorbed in chloroplast where it is used as a source of
carbon for glucose. Photosynthesis will not take place without carbon dioxide. It
comprises only 0.03 to 0.04% in the air, its supplied does not exhaust as it is
continuously recycled in the air. However, greater amount of carbon dioxide
adversely affect the process.

4. WATER:-
Water is also basic factor and it is important in two ways; firstly, it
provides hydrogen for the building up of glucose and secondly, opening and
closing of stomata is regulated by increase and decrease the amount of water. It
is important that stomata should remain open so that carbon dioxide may enter
the leaves. Water with salts absorbed by the roots ultimately reaches to the
leaves.

5. TEMPERATURE:-
Temperature is also important for photosynthesis. Normally range of
temperature is 15 °c to 30 °c suitable for this process. At higher temperature the
rate of photosynthesis starts declining and at 45°C it completely stops. However,
depending on regions, the temperature of the plants may change. For example:
this process occurs at a temperature range from 0°C to 10°C in plants of cold
and mountain regions.
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Q.6 Define mechanism of photosynthesis.

Ans: The main objectives of photosynthesis that light energy is converted into
chemical energy for manufacturing of glucose which is simple and consists on
carbon hydrogen and oxygen. The photosynthesis process is not simple but the
continuously reactions takes place in the process of photosynthesis. The main
reactions of photosynthesis are light reaction and dark reaction.

Light Reaction:
The light reaction is also called light-dependent reaction chloroplast captures
light energy, store it and covert it into chemical energy. Some energy is utilized to
split water into Hydrogen and Oxygen, it is called photolysis. Oxygen produced
and is released in the environment. While the hydrogen combine with carbon
dioxide for building of glucose.
In the chloroplast, chlorophyll and other pigment molecules form highly-organized
assembles called photosystems. The conversion of light energy into chemical
energy in the photosystems produces two energy rich compounds.
1. NADPH₂ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinuleotide Phosphate)
2. ATP (Adenosine Tri-Phosphate)
ATP & NADPH₂ both are the rich energy compounds. They provide energy for
conversion of CO₂ into carbohydrates during dark phase.
Dark Reaction:
ATP & NADPH₂ synthesized during light reaction, provide energy to synthesize
glucose by fixing of CO₂ and H₂O. Fixation of CO₂ and its conversion into
glucose occurs in the chloroplast through a series of reactions known as Calvin
cycle or dark reaction. Glucose molecules thus formed at this stage are stored
as starch in the chloroplast.

Q. 7 What do you know about the nutrition in heterotrophic plants?

Plants, usually being autotrophic and they are source of food for living
organisms. But, there are some special types of plants which can not
manufacture their own food and depend upon other animals and plants, such
plants are known as heterotrophic plants and divided into following three groups.

1. Parasitic plants:
The parasitic plants depend upon autotrophic plants for food, they grow on the
stem or branches of host plant rather than in soil. They have special types of
roots known as haustoria which absorb ready made food from host plant. These
roots come in contact with xylem and phloem after the penetrating the stem and
continuously absorb water and salts.
The cascuta is a parasitic plant, its weak yellowish stem around shrubs and
branches of host plant. Mistletoe is also parasitic plant.

2. Saprophytic plants:
These plants have no chlorophyll and obtained their food from dead organic
matter. A common example is Mushroom which belongs to fungi. Also some
flowering plants like monotropa and neottia are saprophytic in nature. They are
found in thick jungles where sun light can not reach on earth and soil is rich with
decomposed organic matter.
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As there are no root hair in these plants so they can not absorb food from soil.
The roots of these plant develop an association with special types of fungus. A
part of hyphae of this fungus enters into the roots of these plants. These hyphae
serve as root hair and help in the absorption of the food from dead organic
matter.

3. Insectivores plants:
These plants are found in marshy areas of many countries, they attracts insects
with their peculiar shape, colour and nectar and then trap them inside their
modified leaves. They make food by photosynthesis process because they
possess chlorophyll. These plants have deficiency of nitrogen compound and
nitrate, for this they capture insects. Pitcher plant (Sarracenia) is common
insectivores and it is found in eastern Himalayas. The lamina of leaf is modified
into elongated pitcher with a lid. It is here that the insects are trapped and absorb
with the help of enzymes. Sundew (Drosera) and Venus flytrap are the other
examples of insectivore’s plants.

4. Symbionts:
An association of two organisms in which both get benefits is called symbiosis.
e.g. the association with nitrogen fixing bacteria and roots of leguminous plants is
symbiosis. Lichens are also formed association of a fungus and an alga so, they
are modified organisms. The fungus provides shelter and water to the alga and
alga made food by photosynthesis.

Q. 8 Describe various methods of Nutrition in Animals.

Ans:- Animals can not manufacture their own food from inorganic substances,
so they obtained organic molecules from the environment in the form of food, it is
called nutrition like animal or holozoic nutrition. As animals obtained food from
other organisms, it is called as heterotrophic nutrition. According to the mode of
nutrition, animals classified into following groups.

1. Herbivores:-
These animals depend upon plants for their food. Animals like cattle, horse, deer
etc eat grasses and possess teeth for grinding; such types of animals are called
herbivores. Many birds are also herbivores and eat seeds, e.g pigeon and
sparrow.

2. Carnivores:-
These animals depend upon the other animals as foods are called carnivores.
Carnivores animals like the dog, lion, cat etc tear their prey with the help of sharp
and pointed teeth called canines. Frog eats insects and is thus carnivores.
Snakes and eagles are also carnivores.
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3. Omnivores:-
This group of animals eats a variety of foods. Man is an omnivore capable of
eating different types of animals, vegetables and fruits. Crows are also
omnivores.

4. Parasites:-
Animals, live in other living organisms and obtain their food from the host are
called parasites. There are two types of parasites, endo parasites and ecto
parasites. Ecto parasites are mosquito, leech and lice, they live on out side of
body. Endo parasites are malarial parasites, tapeworm and liver fluke etc, they
live inside the body of host.

5. Insectivores:-
In this type of nutrition, animals feed upon insects. For example: wall lizard and
frog feed upon insects, such animals are called as insectovores.

6. Frugivores:-
Animals like parrot which feed on fruits like guava and figs etc are frugivores and
this type of nutrition is called furgivorous.

7. Saprozoic:-
The organisms who obtained food from dead organisms are called saprobes
and this type of nutrition is called saprozoic. Saprobes secrete the enzyme on the
food to absorb in the fluid form and digest it. Fungi and many bacteria fall in this
category.

Q. 9 Write a note on balanced diet.

Ans:- A balances diet is one which contains all nutrients such as carbohydrates,
fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. When these nutrients are in proper
proportions according to requirements of body, it is known as balanced diet. It
satisfies person nutritional requirements and contributes to a person over all
fitness.
So the essential nutrients of food are necessary through out the life. E.g Mother’s
milk is perfect for infants; it contains nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats,
proteins, rich in vitamin A, D, C & iron. It contains also antibodies. For adult, the
carbohydrates, fats, proteins, milk, minerals, vegetables and fruits are essential
in diet. For aged or old person, simple nutrition like milk, fruits, vegetables and
grain are essential.
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Q. 10 What do you know about food components? Discuss in detail .

Ans: Food is basically requirement of living organisms for growth, reproduction,
respiration etc and for obtaining energy. Food is also needed in the preparation
of enzymes to perform various activities.
The food for animals including humans is necessary and comprising on following
components or nutrients.

1. Carbohydrates 2. Fats 3. Proteins 4. Vitamins 5. Minerals 6. Water

1. Carbohydrates:-
The carbohydrates are the fuel of body; because of they are most direct
source of energy. Starch and sugar are the common examples, the most
common simple sugar is grape sugar called glucose and it is the most rapidly
source of energy.

2. Fats:-
Fats are organic compound called lipids, they are high energy food
component and provide double amount of energy during oxidation then
carbohydrates. Fats can obtain from ghee, butter, cream fish oil etc and also from
plants such as mustard oil, soyabean oil, peanuts, coconut etc.

Animals store fats beneath the skin and around some visceral organs.
Fats besides serving as source of energy, they insulate the body and protected
internal organs. Fats also serve as building material of protoplasm and
membrane system.

3. Proteins:-
Proteins are consists of smaller units of amino acids, fats are the building
material of protoplasm and also make many body structures like hair, nail,
muscles etc.
Proteins are obtain from meat, pulses, milk, cheese, dry fruits, eggs etc and
required for repair, growth, defense of body, clotting of blood etc. The deficiency
of protein in diet contains essential amino acids can severely affects above
functions.

4. Minerals:-
Minerals are ionic substances required for metabolic activities; they do not
provide energy but can ensure proper growth and functions of body. Some
important minerals are discussed here.

a) Calcium:- It is obtain from milk, eggs, fruit, and cereals. Calcium strengthens
the bone and teeth, it also helps in muscular contraction, blood coagulate and
conduction of nerve impulse.

b) Iron:- It can obtain from meat, liver, eggs, apple, Spanish and vegetables.
Iron helps in synthesis of haemoglobin and myaglobin in blood & muscles.

c) Phosphorus:- It is found in milk, eggs, meat vegetables etc. Phosphorus is

required for bones, teeth, formation of plasma membrane, nucleic acid and
ATP.
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5. Vitamins:-
Vitamins are organic compound needed for proper growth and development
of the body. Plants can synthesize vitamins from simple substances but animals
obtain from their diet.

Vitamins are classified as fat soluble vitamins such as A, D, E & K & can
be stored along with fat in the body. While water soluble vitamins are B & C and
cannot be stored so we require continuous intake of them.
Vitamins and their functions
Fat Soluble Vitamins

a) Vitamin A:- It can be obtained from Fish-liver oil, animal liver, milk, cheese,
fresh green vegetables etc. It is essential for vision, growth and function of
skin. The deficiency of vitamin A can cause dry cornea, dry skin and poor
night vision.
b) Vitamin D:- It is found in Fish-liver oil, butter, egg yolk, milk and also made by
action of sunlight on skin. It helps in absorption of calcium and phosphorus in
bones and they become strong and healthy. The deficiency of vitamin D can
cause bones remains soft and become deformed called rickets. In adult
bones become painful and easily fractured.
c) Vitamin E:- This vitamin is available in plants, oil, ghee, green leafy salad etc.
Severe deficiency of this vitamin in infants may cause high rate of destruction
of RBC called anemia.
d) Vitamin K:- It is found in dark green leafy vegetables also made by Bacteria
in intestine. It helps prolong clotting time excessive bleeding. The blood does
not clot in the deficiency of vitamin K.

Water Soluble Vitamins

e) Vitamin B complex & vitamin B1:- It is found in husk of wheat and brown
rice. It helps to strong muscles, brain and circulatory system. The deficiency
of this vitamin cause wasting of muscles, circulatory failure, paralysis and
cause Beri Beri disease.

f) Vitamin B2:- It is available in leafy vegetables, fish, eggs, etc. The deficiency
of this vitamin can cause sore mouth, eyes and skin.

g) Vitamin C:- It is obtained from citrus fruits like Orange & Lemon and green
vegetables. It helps to keeps gums healthy and skin. The deficiency of vitamin
C cause bleeding in gums called scurvy, wounds fail to heal.

h) Nicotinamide:- It is obtained from meat, fish, milk eggs, etc. The deficiency
of Nicotinamide cause diarrhea, dermatitis, mental disorder & also cause
pellagra.

6. Water:- Nearly 70% of water is present in our body, it is required as solvent in

most of the metabolic activities & helps in absorption and transportation of
digested food. Water also helps in photosynthesis for intake of soluble
minerals from soil and movement of food.
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Q. 10 What do you know about human digestion? Discuss in detail .

Ans: The mouth is oral cavity where process of mechanical & chemical digestion
occurs, the teeth grind the food and salivary gland secrets saliva contains
enzyme called ptyalin which act upon starch to break partly in to maltose
(Sugar). The masticated (chew) and partially digested food came into form of
ball called bolus, then pushed into the oesophagus & finally reached at stomach.

Stomach:- Stomach is a large bag like, thick walled structure, which

stores food material, so the food here digested chemically and mechanically. Its
walls contain gastric glands which secret gastric juice containing HCl and
enzymes rennin and pepsin. HCl kills the germs present in food and softens it.
While rennin helps to curdle (unpleasant) the milk in infants and pepsin act on
proteins to break them into peptones & then thick walls of stomach churn up
(mix) the food. The food staying in stomach for few hours becomes thick fluid like
chyme (paste like) and released bit by bit into the small intestine.

Small Intestine:- Stomach is followed by long & narrow tube called small
intestine where the remaining process of digestion completed and nutrients from
the digested food absorbed in to the blood. The first part of small intestine is
called duodenum, which receives bile juice through bile duct from liver, and
pancreatic juices from pancreas through pancreatic duct, both secretions poured
simultaneously into the duodenum, both of secretions contains bicarbonate ions
which first neutralize the chyme from acidic nature and then turns in to alkaline.

Liver:- Liver is the largest gland of body, reddish brown in colour and
located at the right side of body diaphragm. Liver secrets the alkaline, greenish
yellow juice called bile juice which stored in a sac like structure gall-bladder
attached with it. No any enzyme in bile juice but it contains some salts; the most
important salt is sodium bicarbonate (NaCo3), it also contains bile pigments. Both
they are not involved in digestion, but helps to breaking down the large
molecules of fats into smaller droplets. This process is called as emulsification
so it makes the digestion of fats easier in small intestine.

Pancreas:- It is long leaf like organ situated between duodenum and

stomach, its secretions called pancreatic juices, it is colourless and enters
through the pancreatic duct into the duodenum, contains sodium bicarbonate
(NaCo3) and following enzymes.

 Amylase:- It breaks down starch into maltose.

 Trypsin:- It act upon proteins and convert into smaller peptides.
 Lipase:- It breaks fat droplets into fatty acids and glycerol.
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Food absorb in small intestine:- ileum is the part of small intestine where rest
of digestion is completed with the help of enzymes presented in intestinal juices
secreted by the glands present in walls of small intestine. The aminopeptidases
convert peptides in to amino acids and disaccharidases convert maltose/
lactose and sucrose in to glucose.
After the process of digestion, the digested food in soluble form, such as
glucose, fructose, amino acids, fatty acids, glycerol etc absorbed into blood
through villi, finger like structure present on the internal walls of ileum.

Each villus has a dense net work of blood and one lymph or lacteal vessel,
blood capillaries and lacteal absorb digested, nutrients except fatty acid diffuse
through the surface of villi and enters into the blood capillaries. The blood
capillaries join together and form large blood vessel called hepatic portal vein
which carries the absorbed food to the liver. While fatty acids absorbed into villi,
recombine to form fats and passed to lacteal vessel rather than blood capillaries.
Lacteals of villi join together and a form lymph vessel delivers the fats into blood
through lymphatic system.

Assimilation of digested food:- The soluble food nutrients after absorption is

transported to each and every cell of body through blood or depending upon
requirement of cells & food can be used to build new protoplasm or obtain
energy to performing various activities of life.

After that some components such as roughage remains undigested, this

undigested food along with water passed to the large intestine, which consist on
caecum, appendix, colon and rectum. The water absorbed in the large intestine,
so the undigested food becomes paste like and then becomes slightly harder.
Meanwhile, the intestinal bacteria cause fermentation of undigested matter,
which is now termed as faeces.
Egestion:- The faeces are stored in rectum, the last portion of alimentary canal,
where it is stored for the time being and then egested out from the body through
an anus.