Plant and Animal Nutrition

Plant and Animal Nutrition

• Nutrients are vital compounds in foods
• Nutrients provide energy, building blocks for repair and growth, and substances for regulating chemical processes
• Nutrients help living organisms develop their bodies, grow, repair damage, and provide energy for life and activity

Plant Nutrition

• Plant nutrition is the supply and absorption of chemical compounds for growth and metabolic processes
• Chemical compounds for growth are known as plant nutrients or essential elements
• Inorganic nutrients are obtained from the environment through soil, air, and water
• Nutritional requirements of plants include water, carbon dioxide, and essential elements

Water and Plants

• Water helps a plant by transporting important nutrients
• Nutrients are drawn from the soil and utilized by the plant
• Without a proper balance of water a plant is malnourished, weak, and cannot support its own weight

Hydroponics

• Nutrients for hydroponics can come from many organic or inorganic sources

Carbon Dioxide and Plants

• Carbon dioxide is a gas with one carbon and two oxygen atoms
• Plants use CO2 to produce carbohydrates through photosynthesis
• Photosynthesis is necessary for the survival of life on Earth
• Higher concentrations of carbon dioxide make plants more productive
• Plants and ecosystems use the sugar as an energy source and building block for growth

17 Essential Elements for Plants

• Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen are Major constituents of organic plant material and help with the assimilation of oxidation-reduction reactions
• Boron aids cell wall synthesis, enzymatic reactions, and mitotic activity
• Calcium is a structural component of the cell wall and cell membrane
• Chlorine aids the water splitting system for photosystem II and stomatal opening regulation
• Copper is a cofactor for metalloproteins and enzymes, and helps with photosynthetic electron transport
• Iron is a regulatory component of proteins and metabolites in roots and leaves
• Magnesium aids in chlorophyll synthesis and cofactor in activation of ATPase
• Manganese helps prevents photo destruction of chlorophyll and chloroplast structure
• Molybdenum is necessary for enzyme activation
• Nickel helps with endosperm development and dehydrogenase activity
• Nitrogen enables general plant growth
• Phosphorus helps with the energy transferring process for photosynthesis and respiration
• Potassium is needed for cell extension and stomatal regulation;
• Sulfur is used for the assimilation of oxidation-reduction reactions
• Zinc enables enzymatic function and reactivity

Animal Nutrition

• The major classes of nutrients for animals are carbohydrates, fats, fiber, minerals, proteins, vitamins, and water

Carbohydrates

• Carbohydrates are energy-giving foods
• Carbohydrates provide energy in the form of calories to support bodily functions
• Energy from carbohydrates is usually in the form of glucose, which is readily used by body tissues and cells

Fats

• Fats are triglycerides
• Fats are made of assorted fatty acid monomers bound to a glycerol backbone
• Fats and oils are concentrated sources of energy, essential for young children

Fiber

• Fiber is a mixture of different carbohydrates not digested like other nutrients, but it passes through the gut
• Foods rich in fiber are vegetables like cabbage, carrots, cassava, fruits like banana and avocado, peas and beans, and whole-grain cereals like wheat flour and refined maize or sorghum
• Fiber makes food bulky and can help overweight people eat less
• Fiber makes feces soft and bulky to prevent constipation
• Fiber slows the absorption of nutrients, helping nutrients enter the blood stream slowly
• Fiber is important for patients with diabetes mellitus

Proteins

• Proteins are important nutrients for growth, especially for children, teens, and pregnant women
• Proteins also aid immune functions by making essential hormones and enzymes
• Proteins help in tissue repair, preserving lean muscle mass, and supplying energy when carbohydrates are not available
• Protein is needed by pregnant women to build their bodies, as well as the bodies of the babies and placentas
• Breastfeeding mothers need protein to make breast milk
• Main sources of proteins are meats, chicken, eggs, breast milk, beans, ground nuts, fish, cheese and milk
• Animal foods contain more protein than plants because they are better sources of body-building foods

Minerals

• Minerals or dietary minerals are the chemical elements essential by living organisms
• Minerals are required in addition to the four elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen

Vitamins

• Vitamins are related substances present in small amounts in foodstuffs
• Vitamins are important for the body to function normally
• Vitamins are also called protective foods
• Vitamins are classified into two groups: fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) and water-soluble vitamins (B, C, and folic acid)
• Fat-soluble vitamins are soluble in fats and insoluble in water and need fat to be utilized
• Water-soluble vitamins are soluble in water and cannot be stored in the body
• Fruits and vegetables are the best sources of micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals

Water

• A 50 kg adult contains about 31L of water
• A one-year-old, 10 kg child contains nearly 8L of water
• People can live without solid food intake for a few weeks, but not without water for more than a few days
• An adult needs about 2-3L of water each day
• Water is essential for life
• Water is needed for the body to produce cells and fluids like tears, digestives juices, and breast milk
• Water is needed for the body to produce sweat for cooling
• Essential body processes mostly take place in water
• Water is needed to keep the lining of the mouth, intestine, eyelids, and lungs wet and healthy
• Water is needed for the production of urine to carry waste from the body

Feeding Mechanisms of Animals

• Substrate-feeders are animals that live in or on their food source, for example: earthworms and caterpillars
• Filter-feeders are aquatic animals that draw in water and strain small organisms and food particles, for example: whales and coelenterates
• Fluid-feeders suck fluids containing nutrients from a living host, for example: mosquitoes and leeches
• Bulk-feeders eat large chunks of food and have adaptations like jaws and teeth, for example: snakes, cats, and humans