D: HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY D.1: Human nutrition

Essential nutrients Essential nutrients cannot be synthesized by the body. E.g. calcium, vitamins, water, some amino acids and fatty acids. Some nutrients, e.g. vitamin K, are conditionally essential. Meaning that they can only be synthesized and then absorbed by the presence of bacteria in the gut. Essential amino acidsEssential fatty acids Threonine (only synthesized by the body if phenylalanine, another amino acid, is present) Arginine can normally be synthesized but not in premature babies. Omega-3 & Omega-6 Only difference between these two is the position of the double bond. Used to synthesize other compounds as well as for healthy development of brain and the eye.

Essential minerals Typically dietary minerals are required in very small amounts (milli/micrograms per day). Different chemical structure to vitamins and usually ionic e.g. Ca +2 Deficiency disease occurs when a mineral is missing from the diet. Example: iodine. Required by the thyroid gland to synthesize thyroxin. In pregnant patients suffering IDD (iodine deficiency disorder) the baby may be born with permanent brain damage. After birth, children suffering IDD will have impaired brain/mental development. This is a reason why iodine is typically added to salt.

Essential vitamins Chemically diverse carbon compounds that cannot be synthesized by the body. Vitamins often act as co-factors for enzymes, anti-oxidants and hormones. Vitamin AVitamin B2Vitamin C Hydrophobic Hydrocarbon ring and chain Nitrogen rings Converted readily into the nucleotide FMN (flavin mononucleotide) by addition of a phosphate to the carbohydrate Derived from a monosaccharide

Vitamin B2 Vitamin A

Water soluble vitaminsFat soluble vitamins C ascorbic acid B1 thiamin B2 riboflavin B3 niacin B5 pantothenic acid B6 pyridoxine B7 biotin B9 folic acid B12 cobalamin A E K D (conditionally essential)

Malnutrition Caused by an imbalance of nutrients in the body. This can be a deficiency or an excess. Malnutrition is the outcome of a poor diet. Malnutrition is often associated with poverty. Starvation is a consequence of a diet lacking in protein and carbohydrates. Obesity is the consequence of unhealthy diets with excess fat and refined carbohydrates.

1.Diabetes type I and II 2.Hypertension/athleroscerosis 3.Coronary heart disease 4.Obesity 5.Anorexia 6.Phenylketonuria (PKU) 7.Marasmus 8.Vitamin D deficiency Homework: Keep a food/health diary for the next 48hours, record everything you eat and any exercise you do in as much detail as possible. This data will then be analyzed next class as part of a discussion relating to monitoring dietary intake. If you do not feel comfortable collecting this data for yourself, use the internet to find some anomalous data.