What and how much we need to eat

• Macromolecule groups

  • Carbohydrates
  • Lipids
  • Proteins
  • Nucleic Acids
• Carbohydrates


  • Main source of energy for the human body
  • Made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (CHO – 1:2:1)
• Types of carbohydrates

  • Monosaccharides
  • Disaccharides
  • Polysaccharides
• Monosaccharides

  Simple sugar, single ring shaped structure consisting of a single sugar molecule
• Monosaccharides


  • Glucose
  • Fructose
• Disaccharides


  2 sugars joined together
• Disaccharides


  • Lactose
  • Sucrose
• Polysaccharides

  Complex carbs, consist of hundreds of joined sugars
• Polysaccharides


  • Starch
  • Cellulose
  • Glycogen (a polysaccharide made and stored in animals)
• Proteins

  • Key building blocks of cells, important structural molecules, used to generate motion
  • Some proteins are hormones (chemical messengers released by cells in the body that influence cell activity)
• Proteins are made of long chains of amino acids
• There are 20 different amino acids that animals use to build proteins. The human body can make 12 of these amino acids but must obtain the other 8 from food sources (essential amino acids)
• Lipids


  • Help absorb vitamins, main component of cell membranes, and insulate the body
  • Sex hormones are lipids
• Fats and oils

  2 types of lipids (They are made of 3 fatty acids bonded to a glycerol molecule, called a triglyceride)
• Unsaturated triglycerides


  Are oils (fish and plant - known as good fats)
• Saturated Fats

  Meats and butter
• Essential fatty acids

  Cannot be produced in the body (ex. Omega-3 fatty acid)
• Lipids contain twice as much energy as carbs, therefore harder to break down
• Nucleic Acids

  Make up DNA and RNA
• Water

  • Your body is made up of 55% to 60% water. Your body requires water for chemical reactions, digesting food, and to eliminate waste.
  • Water helps to maintain your blood volume, regulate your temperature, and keep your skin moist
• Humans need to drink 8 cups of water per day
• Vitamins

  An organic molecule that the body requires in small amounts as an essential nutrient
• Minerals


  An element, required by the body in small amounts, plays a role in cell processes and repair