Chemistry & Nutrition; How Do Chemistry and Nutrition Come Together

Chemistry of Nutrition Course Outcome: Contrast the synthesis, composition, structure and functions of major biological macromolecules and Illustrate the process of flow of genetic information. Chemistry of Nutrition Contrast the synthesis, composition, structure and functions of major biological macromolecules and Illustrate the process of flow of genetic information. How do chemistry and nutrition come together? Nutrition is referring to all of the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals our bodies need to live and function properly. Our bodies are very complex and go through many process’“by which substances in food are transformed into body tissues and provide energy for the full range of physical and mental activities that make up human life.” (Kent-Jones, 2020) These processes are going to involve biochemistry and molecular biology There are 3 essential nutrients to be consumed through food for the human body, Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Lipids these give the body its energy. Meanwhile minerals, vitamins, and water support the body's metabolism. Chemical reactions, where one or more chemical substance is changed into a different substance, are occuring in the body constantly to give us energy and keep our bodies functioning The next few slides will talk about the digestion of these nutrients and how chemistry correlates. Chemical digestion Chemical digestion “involves the catalytic processing of food in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract by digestive enzymes, aided by co-secreted substances, required to break down the food substances into simpler molecules for absorption”(Welcome, 2018). Large food molecules i.e. nucleic acids, carbohydrates and proteins must be broken down to small molecules that can be of great help in providing the body with energy and improving the body system. Enzymes make this possible through hydrolysis. After polymers are broken down into monomers they go through absorption in the stomach and small intestines, entering the circulatory system and then being carried to cells that need the nutrients that were absorbed. synthesis, composition, structure and functions of major biological macromolecules Nucleic acids DNA and RNA are synthesized and degraded. Nucleic acids are nucleotides polymers. Nucleotide synthesis is an anabolic mechanism having the chemical reaction of phosphate, a pentose sugar, and a nitrogenous base. COMPOSITION: has a series of building blocks called nucleotides. Each nucleotide having a nitrogen-containing aromatic base attached to a pentose (five-carbon) sugar connected to a phosphate group. Relating with nutrition, dietary acids occur in the form of RNA/DNA mixtures. The break-down of these compounds involve complex chains of reactions in the body. Nucleic acids undergo partial hydrolysis in the stomach and then subjected to pancreatic nucleases and phosphoestereases to yield nucleotides and nucleosides. Under these circumstances, the supply of nucleic acids from dietary sources is deemed necessary and could be beneficial in maintaining bodily and immune functions. synthesis, composition, structure and functions of major biological macromolecules Continued Carbohydrate Involve natural and unnatural carbohydrate structures generation Entails carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. All carbohydrates building blocks are simple sugars called monosaccharides (Bonnardel et al., 2019). Fuels the central nervous system and energy for working muscles. Prevent protein from being used as an