The Chemistry of Life

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Nutrients Noun

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[noo-tree-ents]

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Nutrients

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Substances required by the body for survival, providing energy, structure, and regulation of all internal body chemistry.

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Example: This image shows that nutrients are substances found in food, grouping them into the three main types needed in large amounts: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

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Macronutrients Noun

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[mak-roh-noo-tree-ents]

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Macronutrients

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Nutrients, including carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, that must be consumed in large amounts for energy and bodily functions.

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Example: Macronutrients are the three main food groups our bodies need for energy: carbohydrates (like bread), proteins (like meat), and fats (like oils and nuts).

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Micronutrients Noun

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[my-kroh-noo-tree-ents]

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Micronutrients

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Essential nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, required in small amounts to regulate the body's chemistry and functions.

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Example: This image shows examples of micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals found in foods, which the body needs in small amounts for health.

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Carbohydrates Noun

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[kar-boh-hy-drayts]

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Carbohydrates

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Macronutrients that are the body's main source of energy, composed of monomers and polymers of aldehydes and ketones.

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Example: This diagram shows how a large, complex carbohydrate molecule (a polysaccharide like starch) is broken down by digestion into many small, simple sugar molecules (monosaccharides).

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Monosaccharide Noun

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[mon-oh-sak-uh-rahyd]

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Monosaccharide

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The simplest form of carbohydrate, also known as a simple sugar, which serves as a monomer for complex carbohydrates.

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Example: This diagram shows the ball-and-stick model of glucose, a single sugar molecule (monosaccharide), illustrating its composition of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms.

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Disaccharide Noun

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[dy-sak-uh-rahyd]

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Disaccharide

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A sugar molecule formed from the condensation reaction of two monosaccharides, linking them together into a single compound.

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Example: This diagram shows a disaccharide (sucrose) is a complex sugar formed by linking two simple sugars, glucose and fructose, together.

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Polysaccharide Noun

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[pol-ee-sak-uh-rahyd]

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Polysaccharide

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A complex carbohydrate polymer made of many linked monosaccharide monomers, used for energy storage or structural purposes.

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Example: This diagram shows that a large polysaccharide molecule, like starch, is a long chain made of many smaller, repeating glucose molecules linked together.

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Glucose Noun

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[gloo-kohs]

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Glucose

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A primary monosaccharide that serves as the main and most important energy source for the body's cells.

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Example: This diagram shows the chemical structure of a single glucose molecule, a simple sugar made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms.

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Starch Noun

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[starch]

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Starch

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A polysaccharide made of glucose monomers that serves as the major energy storage form of glucose in plants.

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Example: This image ranks vegetables on a scale from most starchy (corn, potatoes) to least starchy (broccoli), showing examples of foods that contain starch.

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Cellulose Noun

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[sel-yuh-lohs]

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Cellulose

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A polysaccharide made of glucose monomers that is the main structural component of plant cell walls.

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Example: This diagram shows that cellulose is the strong material in a plant's cell wall, made up of tiny fibers which are themselves built from long chains of molecules.