Chapter 5

Dr. Ahmad Salem - Biology (CIE)

 Balanced Diet
A balanced diet consists of all of the food groups in
the correct proportions.

•The necessary food groups are:

1) Carbohydrates
2) Proteins
3) Lipids
4) Vitamins
5) Minerals
6) Dietary Fibre
7) Water

Dr. Ahmad Salem - Biology (CIE)

• Malnutrition is caused by not eating a balanced
diet.

There are different types of malnutrition depending

on the cause of the imbalance.

• They include:
o Starvation
o Coronary heart disease
o Constipation
o Obesity

Dr. Ahmad Salem - Biology (CIE)

 Dietary Needs of Different Individuals

– Age: More Energy – More proportions of

Protein (Growth)
– Activity Levels: More active = more energy
(Muscles)
– Pregnancy: Foetus (Extra Ca/ Fe)
– Breastfeeding

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1- Carbohydrates

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 Test for glucose (a reducing sugar)
1. Add Benedict’s solution into sample solution in test tube
2. Heat at 60 – 70 °c in water bath for 5 minutes
3. Take test tube out of water bath and observe the colour
4. A positive test will show a colour change from blue to
orange or brick red

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 Test for starch using iodine
e.g. Starch in a food sample.
• Add drops of iodine solution to the food sample
• A positive test will show a colour change from
orange–brown to blue-black

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 2- Lipids
Lipids are divided into:
1. Fats (solids at room temperature)
2. Oils (liquids at room temperature)
• Most fats (lipids) in the body are made up of triglycerides
• Basic unit: 1 glycerol and 3 fatty acids

INSULATION & ENERGY STORAGE

Dr. Ahmad Salem - Biology (CIE) BUTTER, OIL, NUTS
 Test for lipids
1. Food sample is mixed with 2cm3 of ethanol and shaken
2. The ethanol is added to an equal volume of cold water
3. A positive test will show a cloudy emulsion forming

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 3- Proteins
 Long chains of amino acids.
 20 different amino acids.
 The amino acids can be arranged in any order, resulting in
hundreds of thousands of different proteins.

The different sequences of

amino acids cause the
polypeptide chains to fold in
different ways and this gives
rise to the different shapes of
proteins In this way every
protein has a unique 3-D
shape that enables it to carry
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out its function.
•Sources of proteins
Animal sources : meat, milk, fish, and eggs.
Plant sources : leguminous plants such as beans and
lentils.
•Importance of proteins
1. As a source of energy in case of starvation.
2. Growth and tissue repair.
3. Formation of enzymes and hormones.
4. Protection against diseases as antibodies made of
proteins.
5. Formation of haemoglobin

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 Protein Shape
Many of these proteins are different shapes and the shape often
has an important effect on the function of the protein.
 Enzymes have an area in them known as the active site –
this is important as this is the place where another
molecule fits into the enzyme in order for a reaction to take
place
If the shape of the active site does not match the shape of
the molecule that fits into it, the reaction will not take
place
Every enzyme has a different shaped active site
 Antibodies are proteins produced by certain types of white
blood cell to attach to antigens on the surface of
pathogens
The shape of the antibody must match the shape of the
antigen so that it can attach to it and signal it for
destruction Dr. Ahmad Salem - Biology (CIE)
 Test for protein
•Add drops of biuret solution to the food sample
•A positive test: colour change from blue to violet /
purple

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4- Vitamins
Are organic substances only needed in small amounts in the body to
perform specific function

Vitamin C
Sources: Citrus fruits such as orange & lemon. Fresh vegetables
Importance
Helps wounds to heal.
Keeps blood vessels healthy.
Keeps cement of teeth & gum healthy.
Helps the body to use iron.
Stimulates the immune system.
Deficiency symptoms
1. Symptoms of scurvy.
2. Pain in joints & muscles.
3. Bleeding from gum and other parts of the body.
4. Delayed healing of wounds.
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 Test for vitamin C
•Add 1cm3 of DCPIP solution
to a test tube
•Add a small amount of food
sample (as a solution)
•A positive test will show the
blue colour of the dye
disappearing

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 Vitamin D
Sources: Butter, eggs & cod- liver oil.
Importance:
-Can be formed in the skin by being exposed to sun rays.
-Helps absorption of calcium and phosphorus.
-Helps the deposition of calcium and phosphorus in bones &
teeth.
Deficiency:
•Rickets in children.
•Causes bones to be soft and deformed
•Soft bones or osteomalicia in adults.

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 5- Minerals
Needed in specific small quantities.

CALCIUM NEEDED FOR STRONG TEETH MILK, CHEESE,

AND BONES . EGGS

INVOLVED IN THE CLOTTING

OF BLOOD.

DEFICIENCY CAN LEAD TO

OSTEOPOROSIS LATER IN
LIFE
NEEDED TO MAKE RED MEAT, LIVER,
IRON HAEMOGLOBIN. LEAFY GREEN
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VEGETABLES
 6- Roughages
Definition: fibrous, indigestible food (mostly cellulose). It
stimulates the muscles of the digestive system to move the food
by a movement known as peristalsis.
Importance:
Stimulates peristalsis in the digestive system therefore it
prevents constipation.
Reduce the risk of cancer of colon because cancer can be
started off by certain chemicals in food.
Helps in diet by providing feel of stomach fullness.

Sources :
•All plant foods.
•Cereal grains and barley.
•The whole meal bread (bran).
•Brown or unpolished
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Salem - Biology (CIE)
 Role within Organisms

7- Water
Water is important as a solvent in the following situations within
organisms:
1) Dissolved substances can be easily transported around
organisms.
2) Digested food molecules are in the alimentary canal but
need to be moved to cells all over the body – without water
as a solvent this would not be able to happen
3) Toxic substances such as urea and substances in excess of
requirements such as salts can dissolve in water which makes
them easy to remove from the body in urine.
4) Important part of the cytoplasm and plays a role in ensuring
metabolic reactions can happen as necessary in cells.

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 DNA Molecule
DNA Structure:
DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the molecule that contains the
instructions for growth and development of all organisms.
It consists of two strands of DNA wound around each other in
what is called a double helix.

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•All nucleotides contain the same phosphate and deoxyribose
sugar, but differ from each other in the base attached
•There are four different bases, Adenine (A), Cytosine (C),
Thymine (T) and Guanine (G)
•The bases on each strand pair up with each other, holding the two
strands of DNA in the double helix
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The bases always pair up in the same way:
•Adenine always pairs with Thymine (A-T)
•Cytosine always pairs with Guanine (C-G)
•The phosphate and sugar section of the nucleotides form the
‘backbone’ of the DNA strand (like the sides of a ladder) and the
base pairs of each strand connect to form the rungs of the
ladder.

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