MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

SECONDARY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMME

INTEGRATED SCIENCE

GRADE 9

Week 5 Lesson Two

Topic: Nutrition

Sub-topic: Nutritional Deficiencies

Objective: After reading and looking at the diagrams given students will:

1. Define accurately what is nutrition

2. Identify four diseases resulting from nutritional deficiencies.

Content:

Food, like other substances, is composed of different chemical elements, arranged in a

variety of ways to form molecules. The body uses some of the molecules in food to
function correctly and stay healthy. These are the nutrients. There are many different
nutrients, and each has its own function in the body. Each nutrient is vital to life, and the
health of an individual will suffer if any one nutrient is in short supply.
The study of nutrients and their relationship with food and living things is called
nutrition. Most foods contain more than one nutrient. However, no single food provides
all the nutrients required by the body in sufficient quantities. A lack of nutrients required
by the body can lead to diseases.

Diseases that occur due to lack of nutrients over a long period are called deficiency
diseases or nutritional disease. Deficiency of one or more nutrients can cause diseases
or disorders in our body. So, a balanced diet is required to avoid deficiency diseases.

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 Table showing some diseases resulting from a deficiency of selected nutrients

Nutrient Deficiency
Protein Marasmus and kwashiorkor
Fats Cessation of growth, flaky skin and
development of itchy sores on the scalp
Vitamin A Skin becomes dry and scaly and night
blindness
Vitamin B Beri-Beri, swelling of feet and legs, mental
disorder, anaemia, tiredness and lack of
energy
Vitamin C Scurvy and bleeding gums
Vitamin D Rickets
Calcium Bones becoming soft and deformed
Iron Anaemia
Iodine Goitre

Marasmus

This name comes for the Greek work meaning ‘wasting’, and it mainly affects babies under one
year old. The body adapts to the shortage of food by the wasting of muscles and the depletion of
fat stores, so that energy is only supplied to vital organs, e.g. brain and heart. The child therefore
becomes very thin and weak. This condition often results in death.

Picture of a child suffering from marasmus

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Kwashiorkor

Kwashiorkor is known to be poor adaptation to famine and results in these symptoms:

- Retarded growth
- Chronic diarrhea & infections
- Poor digestion of food

In adults, starvation results in a variety of symptoms,

including:

- Wasting of body tissue

- Wasting of muscles and organs, such as
the heart and intestine.
- Dryness of hair and skin.
Picture of children suffering from Kwashiorkor

Home Work
Plan an experiment to test a food sample for non- reducing sugars.

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References

Bernard, Myrna et.al (2003) Science in Daily Life Book 3 (Unit 5) Ministry of Education

https://www.funscience.in/study-
zone/Biology/Transportation/TranslocationOfFood.php#sthash.XrSjAMkv.dpbs

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=uH%2BNOVh3&id=8B48C1BA52
127CD3C8A

https://byjus.com/biology/test-for-starch/

https://biology-igcse.weebly.com/food-test-2---benedicts-test-for-reducing-sugars.html

https://biology-igcse.weebly.com/-food-test-3---emulsion-ethanol-test-for-fats.html

http://www.med-health.net/Protein-Deficiency-Diseases.html