Chapter 8 Nutrition, Circulation, and Health

Overview

When she weighed 65 kg (140 pounds), Melanie thought of herself as fat and ugly. Her menstrual periods stopped when her weight dropped to 45 kg (100 pounds). Now that she weighs 40 kg (90 pounds), all her friends tell her she is too skinny, but she is sure they are wrong because she still thinks of herself as chubby. She wants to lose even more weight. Melanie has an eating disorder known as anorexia nervosa. Her body is not getting the nutrition it needs. She could die if the situation remains untreated.

Melanie’s father went in last week for a routine checkup. Although he was feeling fine, the doctor told him he had high blood pressure and needed to control his food intake. Unless he lowers his intake of saturated fats, he faces an increased risk of having a heart attack. He must now learn to eat a low-fat, low-salt, high-fiber diet, which will lower his chances for getting heart disease, the number one cause of death in most industrialized countries.

All of us need food, but our dietary requirements vary according to our body size, age, sex, level of activity, and previous state of health. In addition, there are variations caused by hereditary differences in body constitution, metabolic rates, and other factors. The world’s populations have found many different ways of meeting these nutritional needs. Different diets arose in different parts of the world because different kinds of plants grew best in each climate and in each type of soil, and each culture has its own preferences and prohibitions that limit their uses of the available foods in their environment—no culture makes use of all foodstuffs available to them.

We begin this chapter with a description of the molecules that make up all living things, including the foods we eat, and the chemical behavior of those molecules.  We then examine the body’s use of food, human dietary requirements, correlations between diet and the incidence of chronic diseases, and the effects of malnutrition that can result from eating too little or from eating the wrong foods. Malnutrition is one of the major health problems of the world, particularly among the poor and in areas of turmoil. Malnutrition can also result from eating disorders among people with access to sufficient foods.

Chapter Outline

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Review Questions

THE PURPOSE of these review quizzes is to guide students in where their knowledge and understanding is strong, where it is weak, and where time should best be spent in studying.

CHAPTER 8:

  1. Why is the chemistry of water so important in biology?  What determines whether certain chemicals can dissolve in water?  How does the distribution of electrons in large molecules influence their location in cells or their behavior in cell membranes?  (If you cannot explain these things, or if you are not sure, then you need to reread Section 8.1.)
  2. What are the key chemical features of carbohydrates, and what different types exist?  What are the important characteristics of lipids, and what different types exist?  What are the important characteristics of proteins, and why do we need them in our diet? Why are certain dietary proteins more important than others, and why are multiple protein sources beneficial?  What is fiber, and why is it important in human diets?   What major mineral nutrients and vitamins are needed in our diet, and why?  (If you cannot explain this, or if you are not sure, then you need to reread Section 8.2.)
  3. What steps are involved in proteins digestion, and where does each step occur?  What important role does liver bile play in digestion?  What digestive activities take place in the small intestine?  Where are the villi, and why are they important?    (If you cannot explain these things, or if you are not sure, then you need to reread Section 8.3.)
  4.  How (in what steps) are glucose and other food molecules broken down?  How and where is their energy released?  (If you cannot explain these things, or if you are not sure, then you need to reread Section 8.3.)
  5. By what route does the blood travel throughout the body?  By what route does it pass through the heart and lungs?  What are several causes of cardiovascular disease? (If you cannot explain these things, or if you are not sure, then you need to reread Section 8.4.)
  6. Explain at least three eating disorders and the causes that increase their occurrence.  What are some other factors contributing to poor nutrition in different parts of the world?  (If you cannot explain these things, or if you are not sure, then you need to reread Section 8.5.)

Open Response Study Questions

These questions are designed to assess your understanding of the topics explored in this chapter. You can use these questions in three ways:

Before you start …

Read through the questions before you read the chapter to help prime you to read the text more carefully and strategically. Remember that you are just starting out on your learning journey, so don’t feel disheartened if you don’t know how to answer them yet!

Whilst you read …

As you work through the chapter, have another go at answering the questions to see how you are progressing. You can also answer the questions with the textbook open in front of you, in order to create model answers that can be used to refer back to later.

At the end …

Answer the questions once you have finished reading to see what you have learned. Check your responses against your model answers and use these to identify any gaps in your understanding.

DEFINITIONS:

In your own words, define ANY TWO of the following terms:

Bulimia           Kwashiorkor   Hydrophobic   Villi     Emulsification

ESSAYS:

Answer any two of the following questions.  Make sure to answer all parts of any question you choose.

1. Explain why overdosing on vitamin A is a greater risk than overdosing on vitamin C.

2. Explain why it is beneficial: (a) to substitute plant proteins for animal proteins AND  (b) to combine plant proteins from several sources.

3. The National Cancer Institute advises that a diet rich in foods containing vitamin A, vitamin C, and beta carotene will greatly reduce your risk of cancer.  Why would this be so?  GIVE AT LEAST TWO SEPARATE REASONS that include references to processes occurring at the cell and molecular level.

4. Explain both: (A) why whole-grain products are preferable to refined carbohydrates, and (B) why certain lipids (specify which ones) are preferable to others.

PowerPoint Slides

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Chapter 9
Populations and Reproduction