Human nutrition

Topics

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Sample objectives

What this unit covers

• Diet: Explain the concept of a balanced diet.
• Diet: Identify the main dietary sources and explain the significance of: (a) carbohydrates (b) fats and oils (c) proteins (d) vitamins, specifically C and D (e) mineral ions, specifically calcium and iron (f) fibre (roughage) (g) water.
• Digestive system: Recognize and label the primary organs of the digestive system in diagrams and images, including: (a) the alimentary canal, which consists of the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine (duodenum and ileum), and large intestine (colon, rectum, and anus); (b) the associated organs, which include the salivary glands, pancreas, liver, and gall bladder.
• Digestive system: Explain the roles of the digestive system organs mentioned in 7.2.1, focusing on: (a) ingestion, which is the intake of substances like food and drink into the body; (b) digestion, which refers to the breakdown of food; (c) absorption, which is the transfer of nutrients from the intestines into the bloodstream; (d) assimilation, which involves the uptake and utilization of nutrients by cells; (e) egestion, which is the process of eliminating undigested food from the body as faeces.
• Digestion: Explain physical digestion as the process of breaking food into smaller pieces without altering the chemical structure of the food molecules.
• Digestion: Explain chemical digestion as the process that transforms large insoluble molecules into smaller soluble ones.