Nutrition Metabolism Enzymes Definitions Diabetes A disease characterized by abnormally high blood sugar levels Osteoporosis a disease characterized by thinning bones Nutrients components in food that the body needs to grow develop and repair itself Energy the ability to do work including building complex molecules Macronutrients Nutrients including proteins carbohydrates and fats that organisms must ingest in large amounts to maintain health Essential nutrient a substance that cannot be synthesized by the body and must be obtained preassembled from the diet including certain amino acids and fatty acids vitamins and minerals Essential Amino Acids Eight amino acids the human body cannot synthesize and must obtain from food Enzyme a protein that speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction Activation Energy the energy required for a chemical reaction to proceed Enzymes accelerate reactions by reducing their activation energy Substrate a compound or molecule that an enzyme binds to and on which it acts Active site the part of the enzyme that binds to the substrate Catabolic Reaction any chemical reaction that breaks down complex molecules into simpler molecules Anabolic reaction any chemical reaction that combines simple molecules to buikd more complex molecules Metabolism all biochemical reactions occurring in an organism including reactions that break down molecules and reactions that build new cell structures Insulin a hormone secreted by the pancreas that regulates blood sugar Complex Carbohydrate Polysaccharide a carbohydrate made of many simple sugars linked together that is a polymer of monosaccharides examples are starch and glycogen Starch a complex plant carbohydrate made of linked chains of glucose molecules a source of stored energy Glycogen a complex animal carbohydrate made of linked chains of glucose molecules a source of stored energy Simple Sugar Monosaccharide a carbohydrate made of a simple sugar subunit an example is glucose Fiber a complex plant carbohydrate that is not digestible by humans Mineral an inorganic chemical element required by organisms for normal growth reproduction and tissue maintenance examples are calcium iron potassium and zinc Cofactor an inorganic substance such as a metal ion required to activate an enzyme Coenzyme a small organic molecule such as a vitamin required to activate an enzyme Vitamin an organic molecule required in small amounts fro normal growth reproduction and tissue maintenance Micronutrients nutrients including vitamins and minerals that organisms must ingest in small amounts to maintain health
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