Biochemistry 16 GENERAL PRINCIPLES

Prepared and presented by Marc Imhotep Cray, M.D.

Basic Medical Sciences & CK Teacher

Nutrition and Energy for Life

Reference resource: Nutrition - Wikipedia

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Summary

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Nutritional Requirements. Each human body requires certain amounts of various nutrients, water, and fiber to function properly. The amounts needed vary with a number of factors such as body size, age, and sex. Various countries have established nutritional guidelines in attempts to maintain good health for their citizens. In the United States, the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) are given according to age and sex. The RDA values are designed to represent appropriate nutrient intake for 95% of the population. The Macronutrients. Macronutrients are substances required by the body in relatively large amounts. They are used by the body to provide energy and the materials necessary to form new or replacement tissue. The macronutrients are carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins. An RDA has been established only for proteins, but various groups have recommended certain amounts of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins that should be included in the diet.
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Micronutrients I: Vitamins. Vitamins are organic micronutrients that the body cannot produce in the amounts needed for good health. A number of vitamins have a high water solubility resulting from the highly polar nature of their molecules. All but one of the water soluble vitamins are known to function as coenzymes in the body and are involved in many important metabolic processes. Fat soluble vitamins have non-polar molecular structures. As a result, they are insoluble in water but soluble in fat or other nonpolar solvents. Fat soluble vitamins act somewhat like hormones in the body. Fat soluble vitamins do not dissolve in water based body fluids, so they are not excreted through the kidneys. Amounts in excess of bodily requirements are stored in body fat. Thus, it is much easier to produce toxic effects by overdosing with fat soluble vitamins than it is with water soluble vitamins. Micronutrients II: Minerals. inorganic substances needed by the body are called minerals. Those present in the body in amounts equal to or greater than 5g are called major minerals. Those present in smaller amounts are called trace minerals. The minerals serve many useful functions in the body.

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The Flow of Energy in the Biosphere. Energy for all living processes comes from the sun. A portion of the sun's energy is trapped in the process of photosynthesis which produces carbohydrates. We derive energy from the foods we eat: carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins. As these substances are oxidized, molecules of ATP are formed that supply the energy needed to cellular processes. Metabolism and An Overview of Energy Production. Metabolism, the summation of all cellular reactions, involves the breakdown (catabolism) and synthesis (anabolism) of molecules. There are three stages in the catabolism of foods to provide energy. In stage I, digestion converts foods into smaller molecules. In stage II, these smaller molecules are converted into two-carbon acetyl units that combine with coenzyme A, forming acetyl CoA. Stage III, which is called the common catabolic pathway, consist of the citric acid cycle followed by the electron transport chain and oxidative phosphorylation. The main function of catabolism is to produce ATP molecules.

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ATP: The Primary Energy Carrier. Molecular ATP is the link between energy production and energy use in cells. ATP is called a high energy compound because of the large amount of free energy liberated upon hydrolysis. Cells are able to harness the free energy liberated by ATP to carry out cellular work. ATP is consumed immediately following its formation and is regenerated from ADP as the oxidation of fuel molecules occurs. Mitochondria play a key role in energy production because they house the enzymes for both the citric acid cycle and the electron transport chain. Coenzymes Important in the Common Catabolic Pathway. Three very important coenzymes are involved in catabolism: coenzyme A, NAD+ , and FAD. Coenzyme A binds to the two-carbon fragments produced in State II to form acetyl CoA, the direct fuel of the citric acid cycle. NAD and FAD are the oxidizing agents that participate in the oxidation reactions of the citric acid cycle. They transport hydrogen atoms and electrons from the citric acid cycle to the electron transport chain.

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Formative Assessment

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Which of the following is classified as a macronutrient? fiber carbohydrates minerals vitamins urea

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carbohydrates

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Pellagra results from a deficiency of which vitamin? panthothenic acid riboflavin niacin thiamine ascorbic acid

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niacin

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Beriberi results from a deficiency of which vitamin? panthothenic acid riboflavin niacin thiamine ascorbic acid

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thiamine

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Which metabolic process results in the formation of carbon dioxide? glycolysis the electron transport chain glyconeogenesis the citric acid cycle the cori cycle

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the citric acid cycle

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Thank you for your attention

The end

Further Study: Biochemistry and Cell Biology College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University - Biochemistry Online Indiana University - Medical Biochemistry Page MIT - Biology Hypertextbook NLM - Biochemistry NLM - Molecular Cell Biology University of Utah - NetBiochem

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