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Chemistry LibreTexts

7: Nutrition

  • Page ID
    234022
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    • 7.1: Nutrients
      Nutrients are substances the body needs for energy, building materials, and control of body processes. There are six major classes of nutrients based on biochemical properties: carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, water, vitamins, and minerals. Fiber, which consists largely of nondigestible carbohydrates, is sometimes added as the seventh class of nutrients.
    • 7.2: Minerals and Vitamins- a closer look
    • 7.3: Calories - Quantity and Quality
    • 7.4: Energy Flow and Metabolism
      Cellular processes such as the building and breaking down of complex molecules occur through stepwise chemical reactions. Some of these chemical reactions are spontaneous and release energy, whereas others require energy to proceed. Just as living things must continually consume food to replenish what has been used, cells must continually produce more energy to replenish that used by the many energy-requiring chemical reactions that constantly take place.
    • 7.5: Catabolism of food
      During digestion, carbohydrates are broken down into monosaccharides, proteins are broken down into amino acids, and triglycerides are broken down into glycerol and fatty acids. Most of the digestion reactions occur in the small intestine.
    • 7.6: ATP as Energy carrier
    • 7.7: Coenzyme A
      The use of food by organisms is termed nutrition. Vitamins and minerals necessary for biochemical processes. There are three general categories of food: (1) Essential fiber which are non-digestible polysaccharide material, essential for normal functioning of animal digestive systems (i.e. colon), (2) Energy-yielding nutrients which are protein, carbohydrate and lipid and (3) Micronutrients.
    • 7.8: The Chemistry of NAD+ and FAD
      NAD+ is a derivative of nicotinic acid or nicotinamide.


    7: Nutrition is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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