NUTRITION IN ANIMALS. On this topic, you will learn about
What is a food substance? List the types of heterotrophic nutrition
Types of mammalian teeth
Feeding mode of the holozoic mode of nutrition
What makes a balanced diet
The structure of the mammalian dentition
Mode of feeding in Amoeba
The digestive system of Amoeba
The digestive system of cockroach, grasshopper and birds
CLASSES OF FOOD
There are several ways to classify and categorize food, but one common approach is to group them into the following classes or categories:
Fruits and Vegetables: This class includes all types of fruits and vegetables, such as apples, bananas, broccoli, spinach, etc. They are rich in vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibre.
Grains and Cereals: Foods in this class include wheat, rice, oats, barley, and other cereal grains. They are a significant source of carbohydrates, providing energy to the body.
Protein Foods: This class includes meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, legumes (such as beans and lentils), and nuts. Protein is essential for building and repairing body tissues, as well as for various physiological functions.
Dairy Products: This class consists of milk, cheese, yoghurt, and other dairy-based foods. They are a good source of calcium, protein, and other essential nutrients.
Fats and Oils: This class includes butter, margarine, cooking oils (such as olive oil, coconut oil, and sunflower oil), and other sources of dietary fats. While fats are high in calories, they also provide essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins.
Sugars and Sweets: This class comprises sugar, honey, syrups, candies, chocolates, and sweet desserts. These foods are typically high in calories and should be consumed in moderation.
Beverages: This class includes water, juices, soft drinks, tea, coffee, and alcoholic beverages. It is important to choose beverages wisely and opt for healthier options like water, unsweetened tea, or natural fruit juices.
Processed and Packaged Foods: This class encompasses a wide range of foods that undergo processing and packaging, such as canned foods, frozen meals, snacks, and convenience foods.
These foods often contain preservatives, additives, and high levels of sodium or sugar, so it\’s important to read labels and make informed choices.
Dentition mode of nutrition
FOOD SUBSTANCES
What is a food substance?
Food substances refer to the materials or substances as food eaten by animals to energy needed to carry out survival activities.
These food substances are carbohydrates, protein, mineral salts, fats and oil, water and roughages.
living organisms need food for their survival and daily activities. Plants can manufacture their own food through a process called photosynthesis, hence they are called autotrophs.
On the other hand, animals cannot manufacture their own food so they solely depend on food manufactured by the plants, hence they are called heterotrophs.
Animals sometimes are classified according to the type of food they eat or the mode of nutrition. On these bases, animals are classified in the following categories
CARNIVOROUS ANIMALS OR CARNIVORES TYPE OF NUTRITION
These groups of animals mainly feed on flesh that is to say feed on other animals. Animals in these groups are lions, dogs, lizards, snakes and cats.
HERBIVOROUS ANIMALS TYPE NUTRITION
OMNIVOROUS ANIMALS TYPE OF NUTRITION
These groups of animals feed on plants and animals. In most cases, they can eat anything edible. Examples of these are man, man and pig
WHAT ARE THE CLASSES OF FOOD SUBSTANCES
All the food eaten or taken by animals can be classified or divided into seven groups. These food substances are
i. CARBOHYDRATES
ii. PROTEIN
iii. FATS AND OIL
iv. MINERAL SALTS
v. WATER AND ROUGHAGES
vi. VITAMINS
CARBOHYDRATES CLASSES OF FOOD
- Carbohydrate is made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. The ratio of hydrogen to oxygen is 2:1 as in the case with water. They have a general formula of Cx(HxOx)
SOURCES OF CARBOHYDRATES,
THE MAIN SOURCES OF CARBOHYDRATE INCLUDES YAM, CASAVA, POTATO, RICE, MILLET AND BREAD.
TYPES OF CARBOHYDRATES
There are three types of carbohydrates, they are
1. MONOSACCHARIDES OR SIMPLE SUGARS
They are the simplest sugars and have only one unit of simple sugars are represented by the formula C6H12O6, examples are glucose, fructose and galactose.
- DISACCHARIDES OR REDUCING SUGARS
THESE CONTAIN TWO UNITS OF SIMPLE SUGARS AND ARE REPRESENTED BY THE FORMULA C12H12O12. EXAMPLES ARE SUCROSE, MALTOSE AND LACTOSE - POLYSACCHARIDES COMPLEX SUGARS
- These consist of more than two simple sugars or at least more than three simple sugars joined together. They are represented by the general formula (C6 H10O5)n, where n represents a large number. Examples are starch, cellulose, chitin and glycogen are all classes of food
EXCESS CARBOHYDRATE IS STORED IN THE BODY AS GLYCOGEN-ANIMAL FATS IN THE MUSCLES AND LIVER, WHICH CAN BE CONVERTED BACK TO GLUCOSE DURING STARVATION
IMPORTANCE OF CARBOHYDRATES
The various importance of carbohydrates is listed in the following ways
i. Carbohydrate provides the energy required by animals for daily activities
ii. Carbohydrate provides heat during their oxidation, used in maintaining the body temperature
iii. Carbohydrates are used in some ways to build body parts like the exoskeleton of arthropods
iv. Mucus which is an important lubricant in our bodies, is made up of carbohydrates
PROTEIN CLASSES OF FOOD SUBSTANCES
Proteins are complex molecules and are made of smaller units called amino acids. Proteins have to be digested to AMINO ACIDS before they can be absorbed into the bodies of animals.
The breaking down of proteins during digestion takes place in the following ways or stages
Protein ====peptones====polypeptides===amino acids
COMPOSITION OF PROTEIN
Protein is composed of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and most often phosphorus and sulphur.
SOURCES OF PROTEIN
Animal sources of proteins are milk, egg, fish, cheese, meat and chicken
Plant sources of protein are beans, groundnut and soya-beans
IMPORTANCE OF PROTEIN
i. Protein is used for the growth of the young ones
ii. Protein is used for the repair of worn-out tissues of the body or cells
iii. Proteins aids reproduction
iv. Protein is used for the production of enzymes
v. Protein is also used for the production of hormones
vi. Protein is used for tissue and cell formation which then results in bodybuilding or growth
FATS AND OIL TYPE OF CLASSES FOOD
Fats and oil are also called LIPIDS. Fats are solid lipids at room temperature. They are hydrolyzed during the digestion of fatty acids and glycerol which can be absorbed into the lymphatic system.
COMPOSITION OF FATS AND OIL
Fats and oil are composed of carbon, hydrogen and little oxygen
SOURCES OF FATS AND OIL. The major sources of fats and oil are palm oil, soya bean oil, melon oil, groundnut, butter, lard, margarine and cheese and fish oil
IMPORTANCE OF FATS AND OIL
The importance of fats and oil as classes of food are as follows
i. Fats and oil provide more energy to animals than carbohydrates
ii. Fats supply essential fatty acids to animals
iii. Fats and oil provides fat-soluble vitamins
iv. Fats and oil help in the maintenance of body temperature
MINERAL SALTS
Not with the general view but with definite accuracy, animals need or require various mineral salts for metabolic activities within the body.
Except for sodium chloride which is table salt, and a few medicines like iron tablets which can be taken directly by man, other mineral salts are usually taken in minute quantity through the food we eat.
Lack of any of these minerals to a certain degree, will result in nutritional deficiency.
CLASSES OF MINERAL SALTS
The various classes of mineral salts include the following
i. Calcium
ii. Phosphorus
iii. Magnesium
iv. Potassium
v. Sulphur
vi. Sodium
vii. Chlorine
viii. Iron
ix. Iodine
x. Manganese
xi. Fluorine
xii. Copper and
xiii. Cobalt
Here is a chart of the sources, functions, deficiency and symptoms of any of the aforementioned mineral salts
MINERAL
CALCIUM
Sources===== MILK, CHEESE, EGG AND FISH
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