Nutrition Basics

Nutrition

• Definition: The process by which organisms obtain energy and nutrients from food
• Types of Nutrition:
  • Autotrophic: Producing own food using sunlight, water, and CO2 (e.g. plants)
  • Heterotrophic: Obtaining food from other sources (e.g. animals, fungi)
• Modes of Nutrition:
  • Holozoic: Ingesting and digesting solid food (e.g. animals)
  • Saprotrophic: Absorbing nutrients from dead organic matter (e.g. fungi)
  • Parasitic: Obtaining nutrients from a living host (e.g. parasites)

Respiration

• Definition: The process by which organisms convert glucose into energy (ATP)
• Types of Respiration:
  • Aerobic: Occurs in the presence of oxygen, produces ATP and water
  • Anaerobic: Occurs in the absence of oxygen, produces ATP and lactic acid
• Respiratory Organelles:
  • Mitochondria: site of cellular respiration in eukaryotes
  • Cytoplasm: site of glycolysis in prokaryotes

Transportation

• Definition: The movement of substances within an organism
• Types of Transportation:
  • Passive: Movement of substances without energy expenditure (e.g. diffusion, osmosis)
  • Active: Movement of substances against a concentration gradient using energy (e.g. active transport)
• Transportation Systems:
  • Circulatory System: Transports oxygen, nutrients, and waste products in animals
  • Vascular System: Transports water, nutrients, and sugars in plants

Excretion

• Definition: The process of removing waste products from an organism
• Types of Excretion:
  • Urinary Excretion: Removal of waste products through urine (e.g. animals)
  • Faecal Excretion: Removal of waste products through feces (e.g. animals)
  • Transpiration: Removal of excess water through transpiration in plants
• Excretory Organs:
  • Kidneys: Filter waste products from the blood in animals
  • Liver: Detoxifies and removes waste products from the blood in animals

Photosynthesis

• Definition: The process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria convert light energy into chemical energy
• Equation: 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + light energy → C6H12O6 (glucose) + 6 O2
• Photosynthetic Organelles:
  • Chloroplasts: Contain pigments and enzymes necessary for photosynthesis
  • Thylakoids: Site of light-dependent reactions in chloroplasts
• Importance of Photosynthesis:
  • Produces oxygen for aerobic respiration
  • Produces glucose for energy and synthesis of organic compounds

Nutrition

• Nutrition is the process by which organisms obtain energy and nutrients from food.
• Autotrophic nutrition involves producing own food using sunlight, water, and CO2, as seen in plants.
• Heterotrophic nutrition involves obtaining food from other sources, as seen in animals and fungi.
• Holozoic nutrition involves ingesting and digesting solid food, as seen in animals.
• Saprotrophic nutrition involves absorbing nutrients from dead organic matter, as seen in fungi.
• Parasitic nutrition involves obtaining nutrients from a living host, as seen in parasites.

Respiration

• Respiration is the process by which organisms convert glucose into energy (ATP).
• Aerobic respiration occurs in the presence of oxygen, producing ATP and water.
• Anaerobic respiration occurs in the absence of oxygen, producing ATP and lactic acid.
• Mitochondria are the site of cellular respiration in eukaryotes.
• Cytoplasm is the site of glycolysis in prokaryotes.

Transportation

• Transportation is the movement of substances within an organism.
• Passive transportation involves the movement of substances without energy expenditure, as seen in diffusion and osmosis.
• Active transportation involves the movement of substances against a concentration gradient using energy, as seen in active transport.
• The circulatory system transports oxygen, nutrients, and waste products in animals.
• The vascular system transports water, nutrients, and sugars in plants.

Excretion

• Excretion is the process of removing waste products from an organism.
• Urinary excretion involves the removal of waste products through urine, as seen in animals.
• Faecal excretion involves the removal of waste products through feces, as seen in animals.
• Transpiration involves the removal of excess water through transpiration in plants.
• Kidneys filter waste products from the blood in animals.
• The liver detoxifies and removes waste products from the blood in animals.

Photosynthesis

• Photosynthesis is the process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria convert light energy into chemical energy.
• The equation for photosynthesis is: 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + light energy → C6H12O6 (glucose) + 6 O2.
• Chloroplasts contain pigments and enzymes necessary for photosynthesis.
• Thylakoids are the site of light-dependent reactions in chloroplasts.
• Photosynthesis produces oxygen for aerobic respiration.
• Photosynthesis produces glucose for energy and synthesis of organic compounds.

Nutrition

• Nutrition is the process by which an organism takes in and utilizes nutrients for energy, growth, and maintenance.
• There are two types of nutrition: autotrophic and heterotrophic.
• Autotrophic nutrition involves producing own food through photosynthesis, found in plants.
• Heterotrophic nutrition involves obtaining food from external sources, found in animals.
• Nutrient uptake involves three stages: ingestion, digestion, and absorption.
• Ingestion involves taking in food through the mouth or other openings.
• Digestion involves breaking down food into smaller molecules.
• Absorption involves absorbing nutrients into the bloodstream.

Respiration

• Respiration is the process by which an organism takes in oxygen and releases energy from nutrients.
• There are two types of respiration: aerobic and anaerobic.
• Aerobic respiration requires oxygen, produces energy (ATP) and water.
• Anaerobic respiration does not require oxygen, produces energy (ATP) and lactic acid.
• The respiratory process involves inhaling, cellular respiration, and exhaling.
• Inhaling involves taking in oxygen through the lungs or other respiratory organs.
• Cellular respiration involves converting glucose into energy (ATP) through cellular processes.
• Exhaling involves releasing carbon dioxide and water vapor through the lungs or other respiratory organs.

Transportation

• Transportation is the process by which an organism moves nutrients, oxygen, and waste products throughout its body.
• There are two types of transportation systems: circulatory and lymphatic systems.
• The circulatory system involves the heart, blood vessels, and blood that transport oxygen and nutrients.
• The lymphatic system transports lymph, a clear fluid, throughout the body.
• Transportation mechanisms involve blood pressure and osmosis.
• Blood pressure involves the heart pumping blood through the circulatory system.
• Osmosis involves the movement of water and solutes through cell membranes.

Photosynthesis

• Photosynthesis is the process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria convert light energy into chemical energy.
• The photosynthetic process involves light-dependent and light-independent reactions.
• Light-dependent reactions involve light energy exciting electrons, producing ATP and NADPH.
• Light-independent reactions (Calvin cycle) involve ATP and NADPH being used to convert CO2 into glucose.
• Photosynthesis produces oxygen as a byproduct and provides energy for the food chain.

Excretion

• Excretion is the process by which an organism removes waste products from its body.
• There are two types of excretion: kidney excretion and integumentary excretion.
• Kidney excretion involves filtering waste and excess substances from the blood.
• Integumentary excretion involves removing waste through skin and exocrine glands.
• The excretory process involves filtration, reabsorption, and elimination.
• Filtration involves removing waste and excess substances from the blood.
• Reabsorption involves reabsorbing essential nutrients and water back into the bloodstream.
• Elimination involves removing waste products from the body through urine, feces, or sweat.