IGCSE Biology (Grade 10) – Human Nutrition Notes
Nutrition is the process by which organisms obtain and use nutrients for:
Energy
Growth
Repair
Maintaining health
Balanced Diet: It is a diet that contains all the nutrients in the correct proportions to maintain good
health.
Components of a Balanced Diet
Nutrient Main Sources Function Deficiency
Rice, bread, potatoes, Weight loss,
Carbohydrates Main source of energy
cereals tiredness
Meat, fish, eggs, Growth and repair of tissues; making Poor growth, muscle
Proteins
beans, milk enzymes and hormones wasting
Weight loss, lack of
Fats & Oils Butter, oils, nuts Energy store, insulation, protection
energy
Vitamin C Citrus fruits, tomatoes Healthy skin, gums, wound healing Scurvy
Vitamin D Fish oil, eggs, sunlight Calcium absorption, strong bones Rickets
Calcium Milk, cheese, yogurt Bones, teeth, blood clotting Weak bones
Liver, spinach, red
Iron Formation of haemoglobin Anaemia
meat
Fibre Fruits, vegetables,
Helps movement of food through gut Constipation
(Roughage) whole grains
Solvent, transport, temperature
Water Drinks, fruits Dehydration
regulation
Deficiency Diseases
Scurvy: Cause: Lack of Vitamin C
Symptoms
Bleeding gums
Loose teeth
Slow wound healing
Rickets: Cause: Lack of Vitamin D
Symptoms
Soft bones
Bowed legs
Poor bone development
Human Digestive System:
Alimentary Canal
Food passes through:
Mouth → Oesophagus → Stomach → Small Intestine → Large Intestine → Rectum → Anus
Associated Organs
Salivary glands Liver Pancreas
Peristalsis - rhythmic contractions of smooth muscle - moves food through each segment of the
gastrointestinal tract so digestion and absorption can proceed.
Functions of Digestive Organs
Organ Function
Mouth------------- Chewing and mixing food with saliva
Oesophagus---- Moves food to stomach by peristalsis
Stomach ------- Churns food, secretes HCl and protease
Small Intestine-- Digestion and absorption
Large Intestine- Absorbs water
Rectum---------- Stores faeces
Anus-------------- Egestion
Liver--------------- Produces bile
Gall bladder----- Stores bile
Pancreas--------- Produces digestive enzymes
Processes in Nutrition
Ingestion ---Taking food into the body.
Digestion---Breaking large insoluble molecules into small soluble molecules.
Absorption---Movement of digested food into the bloodstream.
Assimilation---Use of absorbed nutrients by body cells.
Egestion---Removal of undigested food through the anus.
Physical Digestion
Physical digestion:
Breaks food into smaller pieces.
No chemical change occurs.
Increases surface area for enzyme action.
Examples: Chewing, Churning in stomach, Emulsification by bile
Teeth
Bile: Produced by the liver, Stored in the gall bladder.
Functions: Emulsifies fats into tiny droplets, Increases surface area for lipase.
Chemical Digestion
In mouth by saliva:
Moistens food: Turns dry food into a soft, wet ball so it is easy to chew and swallow.
Starts carbohydrate breakdown: Contains an enzyme called amylase that changes starches
into simple sugars.
Aids taste: Dissolves food chemicals so your taste buds can sense flavors.
Lubricates the throat: Helps food slide smoothly down the esophagus into the stomach.
By enzymes:
Action of Hydrochloric Acid (HCl):
Produced by the stomach, along with HCl stomach also produces goblet cells that secrete a protective
mucus layer that helps prevent the stomach lining from being digested.
Functions:
Kills bacteria in food.
Provides acidic pH for protease.
Pancreatic juice:
The pancreas aids digestion by producing pancreatic juices and key enzymes that break down fats,
proteins, and carbohydrates, neutralizes stomach acid by releasing bicarbonate in juice.
Absorption in the Small Intestine: Absorption occurs mainly in the ileum.
Adaptations of Villi
Large surface area
Thin wall (one cell thick)
Rich blood supply- absorb glucose, Amino acids,
Lacteals absorb fatty acids, glycerol.
The small intestine is the main site of digestion and absorption. It has sections called
the duodenum and ileum. Its inner lining contains folds, villi, and microvilli, which greatly
increase surface area and improve nutrient uptake. The thin membrane increases the speed of
absorption.
Inside each villus:
Blood capillaries absorb most nutrients.
Lacteals (specialized lymphatic capillaries) absorb digested fats.
The molecules move into circulation using active transport or facilitated diffusion,
depending on concentration gradients.
Large intestine
The large intestine has no folds or villi. Its primary function is to absorb any remaining
water that wasn’t absorbed in the small intestine.
Within the large intestine, bacterial flora ferment undigested nutrients (producing gas) and
synthesize vitamin K, which is necessary for blood clotting. The rectum connects to the
outside through the anal sphincter, which opens during defecation to release waste.