Macronutrients Study Notes

Flashcards covering key vocabulary related to Macronutrients, including Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Lipids, their types, functions, and health implications based on lecture notes.

Macronutrients

Resources needed in every cell of the body, essential for growth and maintenance, and required in large amounts.

Proteins

A type of macronutrient, polymers of amino acids, needed for growth, repair, and maintenance.

Lipids (Fats)

A type of macronutrient, essential for cell structure/function, temperature regulation, and organ protection.

Carbohydrates

A type of macronutrient, a major component of the diet, composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, with the main role of providing energy.

Monosaccharides

Simple carbohydrates consisting of one sugar unit.

Disaccharides

Simple carbohydrates consisting of two sugar units.

Polysaccharides

Complex carbohydrates consisting of three or more sugar units.

Simple Carbohydrates

Monosaccharides and disaccharides that provide a rapid source of energy.

Complex Carbohydrates

Polysaccharides that are very filling, provide sustained energy, and contain more vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Glycogen

The storage form of glucose in animals, primarily stored in the liver and muscles for backup energy.

Insulin

A hormone released from the pancreas that unlocks cells to allow glucose to enter.

Fiber

An indigestible complex carbohydrate (polysaccharide) found in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, which aids digestion and slows sugar absorption.

Gluconeogenesis

The process of creating glucose from non-carbohydrate sources, like amino acids, when the body lacks sugar.

Amino Acids

The monomer of protein; building blocks that are linked by peptide bonds to form proteins.

Essential Amino Acids

Amino acids that the body cannot synthesize and must be acquired from the diet.

Complete Proteins

Proteins from animal sources and soy that contain sufficient amounts of all nine essential amino acids.

Incomplete Proteins

Proteins from plant sources where one or more essential amino acids are not adequate for protein synthesis.

Complementary Proteins

Food sources that, when eaten together, supply a complete protein.

Pepsin

An enzyme that breaks ingested proteins into smaller peptides during digestion.

Triglycerides

The most common type of fat in food (98%), consisting of lipids attached to glycerol.

Phospholipids

Lipids that make up cell membranes and help transport fat-soluble substances across cell membranes (e.g., lecithin).

Sterols

A type of lipid, with cholesterol being the most common, used for bile, hormones, and cell membrane components.

Saturated Fatty Acids

Fatty acids primarily found in animal sources, including 'trans fats', which should be consumed in limited amounts.

Low-density lipoproteins (LDL)

Known as 'unhealthy cholesterol,' these pick up cholesterol circulating in the blood and take it to the liver for disposal.

High-density lipoproteins (HDL)

Known as 'healthy cholesterol,' these remove cholesterol from cells and take it to the liver for disposal.