Nutrients

Objective: Discuss the importance of minerals in plant nutrition using nitrogen and magnesium as
examples.
- Plants need nutrients to carry out their metabolic processes and to stay healthy. Plants make their own
vitamins (organic molecules) and absorb their minerals (inorganic molecules) from the soil through their roots.
- Nitrogen is needed to make amino acids from glucose and nitrate ions absorbed from the soil (except in
leguminous plants which get these ions from nitrogen fixing bacteria in their root nodules). A deficiency in
nitrogen in plants results in slow growth, short roots and stems with few leaves. The lower leaves of the plants
turn yellow.
- Magnesium is needed to make chlorophyll. Plants continuously break down and rebuild chlorophyll in their
leaves so a steady supply is necessary. A deficiency in magnesium in plants results in older leaves being
mottled with yellow and green patches since the plant uses its magnesium in younger leaves.
- To investigate mineral deficiencies in plants hydroponics can be used. The plant is grown in water or sand and
its nutrients are given dissolved in water. Plants can be set up to grow in a solution with all nutrients needed for
plant growth and a solution with all nutrients needed for plant growth except the mineral being investigated
(e.g. Mg, N). A control for this experiment would be a plant grown in water only.

Objective: Perform tests to distinguish among food substances.

- Refer to Table 7.4 on page 64-65 in text book for details on food tests.
- Reducing sugars e.g. glucose, are reducing agents. During the reducing sugar test the reducing sugar donates
electrons to the copper ions in Benedict’s solution to form a red precipitate (copper (I) oxide). Non-reducing
sugars e.g. sucrose, cannot donate electrons during this reaction.
- In the non-reducing sugar test hydrochloric acid is used to hydrolyze the bonds between the glucose
molecules in sucrose to produce glucose, a reducing sugar (hydrolysis reaction). It is therefore necessary to
neutralize the hydrochloric acid with sodium hydroxide before the test for reducing sugars can be performed
(condensation reaction or dehydration synthesis).

Objective: Discuss the importance of a balanced diet in human.

- A nutrient is any substance that can provide a useful effect on the body. Carbohydrates, fats, proteins are
needed in relatively large amounts so are called macronutrients. Vitamins and minerals are needed in relatively
small amounts so are called micronutrients. Water is not a nutrient but it is necessary as a solvent in cells, a
transport medium for dissolved substances, as a coolant, for photosynthesis and for support in plants. Roughage
or dietary fiber obtained from the cellulose cell walls of plant based foods provides bulk to the foods,
stimulating peristalsis and preventing constipation.
- Refer to Table 7.2 (page 63), Table 7.3 (page 65) and Table 7.6 (page 66) in the textbook for details on
nutrient sources, functions and deficiencies.

- Malnutrition refers to any condition that arises in the body because of too little or too much nutrients in the
diet e.g. anemia is caused by too little iron, hypertension is caused by too much sodium, diabetes is caused by
too much glucose.

- A balanced diet contains the correct proportions of nutrients suited to the individual needs of a person. There
are three main factor which influence the balanced diet (specifically the energy requirements) of a person:
1) Age – A baby’s diet contains mostly milk but as they age more proteins are needed to support their
continuous growth and more carbohydrates to support their active lifestyle. This pattern continues into

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adolescent-hood. As the person gets older, they tend to need less energy foods since they are no longer as
active.
2) Sex – Generally males tend to need more food than females of the same age. This is usually because males
tend to have a larger body size compared to the female of the same age so they need more nutrients to support
their larger body size.
3) Lifestyle – The more active the person's lifestyle is, the more carbohydrates they would need e.g., a
construction worker or an athlete would need more energy than an office worker. A person recovering from
illness would need more proteins to repair they cells and less carbohydrates. A pregnant woman would need
increased amounts of proteins and iron.

- Vegetarianism is practiced by people who eat most of their foods from plant sources. A vegan eats only plant
products. Vegetarian diets are low in fats and high in roughage, but may lack iron, calcium and vitamin B12.
Vegetarians may need to take supplements (especially for vitamin B12 since no plant source is known) to get
these nutrients and ensure they eat a wide range of foods to get their other nutrients.