7 Diet and growth

Check your progress

7.1 A weightlifter asks his trainer for advice on his diet. The trainer gives this advice.
• Eat some protein with every meal.
• Eat plenty of starch or other carbohydrates.
a Copy and complete the sentences. Choose words from the list.
constriction contract fat relax glucose respiration

The weightlifter uses his muscles to lift weights. The muscles contract

to make the weights move. This uses energy. The muscles get the energy by

breaking down glucose in a reaction called respiration . [3]

b Explain why the weightlifter needs to eat plenty of protein. [2]
c Explain why the weightlifter needs to eat plenty of carbohydrate. [2]
d List four other nutrients the weightlifter should include in his diet
as well as protein and carbohydrate. [2]

b. Protein is needed for making new cells. It is needed for growth. So

building strong muscles requires protein.

c Carbohydrate is needed for energy. The weightlifter needs energy for

his muscles to contract, to lift the weights.

d minerals (calcium and iron); vitamins (A, C and D); fats; water

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 Check your progress

7.2 The graph shows the mean mass of girls at different ages.
60

50

40

Mean mass / kg

30

20

10
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Age / years

a What is the mean mass of girls when they are two years old? [1]
b By how much does the mean mass increase between two years and
10 years old? [1]
c Between which ages does growth happen most rapidly? [1]
d Does the graph show that most girls have stopped growing by the age of 20?
Explain your answer. [1]

a 12 kg

b 33 12 = 21 kg

c About 9 and 13 years (the steepest part of the graph).

d No. The line is still sloping upwards at this age.

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7 Diet and growth

7.3 The diagram shows the skeleton of a cat. Cats have the same bones as humans,
but their sizes are different.

D A

S
R
P B
C

a Which joints, A, B, C or D, are hinge joints and which are ball-and-

socket joints? a B and C are hinge joints. A and D are [1]
ball-and-socket joints.
b Where should the two ends of a muscle be attached to move the
cat’s front leg as shown by the arrow?
Choose from P, Q, R and S. b R and S [1]
c Where should the two ends of a muscle be attached to move the
cat’s front leg back to its original position?
Choose from P, Q, R and S. c P and Q [1]
d What name is given to two muscles like the ones you have described
in b and c? d antagonistic [1]
e Explain why two muscles are needed to move a bone in one direction
and then back again. [2]
f Name one mineral needed for the cat to form strong bones. f Calcium [1]
g Cats are predators. They eat other animals. Suggest where cats get
[1]
this mineral from, in their diet.g From the bones of the animals they eat.

e. Idea that muscles can only contract and pull, not push.
So one muscle is needed to pull the bone in one direction, and another
muscle is needed to pull it back again.

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