Human Diet & Digestion

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Quick Summary

This chapter covers how your body takes in food, breaks it down, absorbs the useful bits, and gets rid of the waste. Here are the 7 key themes:

Balanced Diet

7 food groups, each with a specific job

Digestive Organs

Alimentary canal + 4 accessory organs

Two Types of Digestion

Mechanical (physical) + Chemical (enzymes)

Enzyme Action

3 main enzymes, 3 different substrates

Stomach & HCl

Churning + acid = protein breakdown begins

Bile & Fats

Emulsifies fats, neutralizes stomach acid

Small Intestine

Site of absorption — adapted with villi

1. Diet & Deficiencies

What Is a Balanced Diet?

A balanced diet contains all seven food groups in the correct proportions. Your body needs each one for different reasons:

Food Group	Function in Your Body	Food Sources
Carbohydrates	Provide energy for movement, thinking, keeping warm	Bread, cereals, pasta, rice, potatoes
Proteins	Build and repair muscles, skin, organs, enzymes, antibodies	Meat, fish, eggs, pulses, nuts
Lipids (Fats)	Store energy, insulate body, protect organs, make cell membranes	Butter, oil, nuts, fatty meat, avocado
Vitamins	Keep your immune system, bones, teeth, skin, vision healthy	Fruits, vegetables
Minerals	Build bones & teeth, make blood, regulate body functions	Fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy products
Dietary Fibre	Keep your digestive system working, prevent constipation	Vegetables, whole grains
Water	Transport dissolved nutrients, dissolve substances, regulate temperature	Drinking water, milk, juice, fruits, vegetables

💡 Tip for Exams When asked "why does the body need [food group]?", always give the function, not just "energy" or "growth". For example: carbs provide energy for movement; proteins repair damaged cells; calcium builds bones. Be specific.

Vitamin Deficiencies: Scurvy & Rickets

If you don't eat enough of a vitamin for weeks or months, your body stops working properly. Here are two important examples:

Scurvy (Vitamin C Deficiency)

📖 What Happens

over 3 months

Cause: Not enough fresh fruit or vegetables
Symptoms:
Historical note:
Treatment:

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Also in the full note

2. The Digestive System
3. Physical Digestion (Mechanical Digestion)
4. Teeth & Digestion
5. The Stomach
6. Emulsification of Fats & Oils
7. Hydrochloric Acid (HCl)
8. Chemical Digestion & Enzymes
9. Absorption

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Human Diet & Digestion

Quick Summary

1. Diet & Deficiencies

What Is a Balanced Diet?

Vitamin Deficiencies: Scurvy & Rickets

Scurvy (Vitamin C Deficiency)

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