Documente Academic
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Cell
Nutrients
Submitted by:
Diego Silvano J. Barros
Submitted to:
Engr. Denvert Pangayao
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Cell Nutrients | Barros, D.
Cell Nutrients
Nutrients are components in foods that an organism uses to survive and
grow. Macronutrients provide the bulk energy an organism's metabolic system
needs to function while micronutrients provide the necessary cofactors for
metabolism to be carried out. Both types of nutrients can be acquired from the
environment. Micronutrients are used to build and repair tissues and to
regulate body processes while macronutrients are converted to, and used for,
energy. Methods of nutrient intake are different for plants and animals. Plants
take in nutrients directly from the soil through their roots and from
the atmosphere through their leaves. Animals and protists have specialized
digestive systems that work to break down macronutrients for energy and
utilize micronutrients for both metabolism and anabolism (constructive
synthesis) in the body.
Organic nutrients
consist
of carbohydrates, fats, proteins (or
their
building blocks, amino acids), and vitamins. Inorganic chemical compounds
such as dietary minerals, water, and oxygen may also be considered nutrients.
A nutrient is considered essential if it must be obtained from an external
source either because the organism cannot synthesize it or because insufficient
quantities are produced. Nutrients needed in very small amounts are
called micronutrients while those needed in large quantities are called
macronutrients. The effects of nutrients are dose-dependent; shortages are
called deficiencies.
Types of Nutrient
Macronutrients are defined in several different ways.
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Calcium, salt (sodium and chloride), magnesium, and potassium (along with
phosphorus and sulfur) are sometimes added to the list of macronutrients
because they are required in large quantities compared to other vitamins
and minerals. They are sometimes referred to as the macrominerals.
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in nutrition, are broken down through digestion by proteases back into free
amino acids.
Fats
Has a very high energy content. We absorb it usually too
much of it with sausage, cheese, fish, but also with
chocolate, olives and nuts. If we permanently get too little
exercise, we become overweight or even ill. But fat is not
always the same fat. Many of them are unhealthy, such as
trans-fats in deep-fried foods. Others are good for us,
such as omega-3 fatty acids in saltwater fish. More than a third of our energy
intake should not be covered by fats.
Fats consist of a glycerin molecule with three fatty acids attached. Fatty
acids are unbranched hydrocarbon chains, connected by single bonds alone
(saturated fatty acids) or by both double and single bonds (unsaturated fatty
acids). Fats are needed to keep cell membranes functioning properly, to
insulate body organs against shock, to keep body temperature stable, and to
maintain healthy skin and hair. The body does not manufacture certain fatty
acids (termed essential fatty acids) and the diet must supply them.
Although alcohol provides energy, and can thus be compared to
macronutrients, it is not a substance that is essential for normal function. The
acetic acid in vinegar also provides a similar amount of energy per gram, but
again, it is not a nutrient because it is not essential for normal function.
Fat
has
an energy content
of
9
kJ/g); proteins and carbohydrates 4
kcal/g
(~16.7
alcohol) has an energy content of 7 kcal/g (~29.3 kJ/g).
kcal/g
(~37.7
kJ/g). Ethanol (grain
Dietary minerals are generally trace elements, salts, or ions such as copper
and iron. Some of these minerals are essential to human metabolism.
Vitamins are organic compounds essential to the body. They usually act
as coenzymes or cofactors for various proteins in the body.
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Water is an essential nutrient and is the solvent in which all the chemical
reactions of life take place.
Plants absorb nutrients from the soil or the atmosphere, or from water
(mainly aquatic plants). An exception is the carnivorous plants, which
externally digest nutrients from animals before ingesting them.
The chemical elements consumed in the greatest quantities by plants
are carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. These are present in the environment in the
form of water and carbon dioxide; energy is provided by sunlight.
Nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur are also needed in relatively large quantities.
Together,
the
"Big
Six"
are
the
elemental macronutrients for
all organisms, often represented by the acronym CHONPS. Usually they are
sourced from inorganic (e.g. carbon dioxide, water, nitrate, phosphate, sulfate)
or
organic
(e.g. carbohydrates, lipids, proteins)
compounds,
although
elemental diatomic molecules of nitrogen and (especially) oxygen are often
used.
Other chemical elements are also necessary to carry out various life
processes and build structures; see fertilizer and micronutrient for more
information.
Some of these are considered macronutrients in certain organisms.
The mnemonic C. HOPKN'S CaFe Mg (to be used as C. Hopkins coffee mug) is
used by some students to remember the list as: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen,
phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen, sulfur, calcium, iron, and magnesium.
Silicon, chloride, sodium, copper, zinc, and molybdenum are sometimes also
included, but are in other cases considered micronutrients.
Micronutrients
Micronutrients are dietary components, often referred to as vitamins and
minerals, which although only required by the body in small amounts, are vital
to development, disease prevention, and wellbeing. Micronutrients are not
produced in the body and must be derived from the diet.
Deficiencies in micronutrients such as iron, iodine, vitamin A, folate and zinc
can have devastating consequences. At least half of children worldwide ages 6
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Vitamins
Depending on the type, these are necessary for various
processes in the body. Many of them can be stored in the
body for months or even years, but others need to be
freshly absorbed every day. A differentiation is made
between soluble vitamins such as vitamins C, B1 or folic
acid and insoluble (liposoluble) ones such as vitamin A.
Minerals
Are inorganic elements that, depending on their
concentration in the body, are divided into bulk and
trace elements. The former include, for example,
calcium, magnesium or sodium. Trace elements are,
amongst others, iron, fluoride or iodine. A shortage of
minerals can have severe effects on the health. For
example, a long-term shortage of foods containing
iodine, in particular in South Germany, used to cause
many people to suffer from thyroid deficiencies.
Water-soluble vitamins
Water-soluble vitamins cannot be stored in our bodies and are readily excreted.
These include vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B6, vitamin B12,
folate and vitamin C.
Nutrient
Vitamin B1
(Thiamin)
Vitamin B2
(Riboflavin)
Function
Helps to release energy from
carbohydrate. It is also involved in the
nervous system and the heart.
Sources
Whole grains, nuts,
meat (especially pork),
fruit and vegetables
and fortified breakfast
cereals.
Helps to release energy from food and is Milk and milk
needed for the normal structure and
products, eggs, rice,
functioning of the skin and body linings. fortified breakfast
cereals, liver, pulses,
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Fat-soluble vitamins
Fat-soluble vitamins are absorbed through the gut with the help of fat. These
include vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin K.
Nutrient
Function
Important for the normal
Vitamin
structure and functioning of the
A
skin and body linings, e.g. in
lungs. It also helps with vision in
dim light as well as keeping the
immune system healthy.
Needed for the absorption of
Vitamin
calcium and phosphorus from
D
foods, to keep bones healthy.
Recent research also suggests
that vitamin D enhances immune
function and improves muscle
strength.
Acts as an antioxidant and
Vitamin
protects the cells in our bodies
E
against damage.
Sources
Liver, whole milk, cheese, butter,
spreads, carrots, dark green leafy
vegtables and orange-coloured
fruits, e.g. mangoes and apricots.
Oily fish, eggs, meat, fortified
cereals and spreads. Most is
obtained through the action of
sunlight on our skin during the
summer months. For more
information on the dietary sources
of vitamin D click here.
Vegetable and seed oils and
spreads, nuts and seeds.
Needed for the normal clotting of Green leafy vegetables, meat and
Vitamin
blood and is required for normal dairy products.
K
bone structure.
Minerals
There are certain minerals we need to keep our bodies healthy. These include
calcium, fluoride, iodine, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, selenium,
sodium and zinc.
Nutrient
Calcium
Function
Sources
Important for the formation
Milk and milk products, cheese
and maintenance of strong
and other dairy products, some
bones and teeth, as well as the green leafy vegetables such as
functioning of nerves and
broccoli, fortified soya bean
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Selenium
Zinc
An important component of
Brazil nuts, bread, fish, meat and
the bodys defence system that eggs.
protects our bodies against
damage. It is also necessary
for the use of iodine in thyroid
hormone production, as well
as the normal functioning of
the reproductive system.
Helps to release energy from Meat, milk and milk products,
food. Needed for cell division, cheese, eggs, shellfish, wholegrain
growth and tissue repair. Also cereals, nuts and pulses.
necessary for normal
reproductive development, the
immune system and healing of
wounds.
Non-nutrients
Water and fibre are non-nutrients, but are important substances that we need
to include in our diets to stay healthy.
Nonnutrient
Water
Fibre
Function
Sources
Iron
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WHO recommends iron and folic acid supplements for reducing anemia and
improving iron status among women of reproductive age.
Flour fortification with iron and folic acid is globally recognized as one of the
most effective and low-cost micronutrient interventions.
Iodine
Iodine is one of the most important minerals required by a fetus for brain and
cognitive development, though the iodine content in most foods and beverages
is low
Fortification of salt with iodine has been one of the most successful nutrition
interventions to date--71% of global households have access to iodized salt
Salt iodization has led to an increase in IQ points and significant decline in the
prevalence of iodine deficiency disorders, such as goitres
Vitamin A
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17.3% of the global population is at risk for zinc deficiency due to dietary
inadequacy, though up to 30% of people are at risk in some regions of the
world
Folate is a vitamin that is essential in the earliest days of fetal growth for
healthy development of the brain, spinal cord, and skull
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Vitamin Deficiencies
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Mineral Deficiencies
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Chlorine is necessary for osmosis and ionic balance; it also plays a role
in photosynthesis.
Manganese activates
some
important
enzymes
involved
in chlorophyll formation.
Manganese
deficient
plants
will
develop chlorosis between the veins of its leaves. The availability of
manganese is partially dependent on soil pH.
Growth Medium
A growth medium or culture medium is a liquid or gel designed to
support the growth of microorganisms or cells, or small plants like the moss
Physcomitrella patens. There are different types of media for growing different
types of cells.
There are two major types of growth media: those used for cell culture,
which use specific cell types derived from plants or animals, and
microbiological culture, which are used for growing microorganisms, such as
bacteria or yeast. The most common growth media for microorganisms are
nutrient broths and agar plates; specialized media are sometimes required for
microorganism and cell culture growth. Some organisms, termed fastidious
organisms, require specialized environments due to complex nutritional
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The difference between growth media used for cell culture and those used for
microbiological culture is that cells derived from whole organisms and grown in
culture often cannot grow without the addition of, for instance, hormones or
growth factors which usually occur in vivo. In the case of animal cells, this
difficulty is often addressed by the addition of blood serum or a synthetic
serum replacement to the medium. In the case of microorganisms, there are no
such limitations, as they are often unicellular organisms. One other major
difference is that animal cells in culture are often grown on a flat surface to
which they attach, and the medium is provided in a liquid form, which covers
the cells. In contrast, bacteria such as Escherichia coli may be grown on solid
media or in liquid media.
A good example of a growth medium is the wort used to make beer. The wort
contains all the nutrients required for yeast growth, and under anaerobic
conditions, alcohol is produced. When the fermentation process is complete,
the combination of medium and dormant microbes, now beer, is ready for
consumption.
Nutrient Media
Nutrient media contain all the elements that most bacteria need for
growth and are non-selective, so they are used for the general cultivation and
maintenance of bacteria kept in laboratory culture collections.
An undefined medium (also known as a basal or complex medium) is a medium
that contains:
Some examples of nutrient media include: Plate count agar, Nutrient agar,
Trypticase soy agar
Minimal media
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Minimal media are those that contain the minimum nutrients possible for
colony growth, generally without the presence of amino acids, and are often
used by microbiologists and geneticists to grow "wild type" microorganisms.
Minimal media can also be used to select for or against recombinants or
exconjugants.
Minimal medium typically contains:
Supplementary minimal media are a type of minimal media that also contains
a single selected agent, usually an amino acid or a sugar. This
supplementation allows for the culturing of specific lines of auxotrophic
recombinants.
Selective Media
Selective media are used for the growth of only selected microorganisms.
For example, if a microorganism is resistant to a certain antibiotic, such as
ampicillin or tetracycline, then that antibiotic can be added to the medium in
order to prevent other cells, which do not possess the resistance, from growing.
Media lacking an amino acid such as proline in conjunction with E. coli unable
to synthesize it were commonly used by geneticists before the emergence of
genomics to map bacterial chromosomes.
Selective growth media are also used in cell culture to ensure the
survival or proliferation of cells with certain properties, such as antibiotic
resistance or the ability to synthesize a certain metabolite. Normally, the
presence of a specific gene or an allele of a gene confers upon the cell the
ability to grow in the selective medium. In such cases, the gene is termed a
marker.
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Eosin methylene blue (EMB) contains dyes that are toxic for Gram
positive bacteria and bile salt which is toxic for Gram negative bacteria
other than coliforms. EMB is the selective and differential medium for
coliforms
YM (yeast and mold) which has a low pH, deterring bacterial growth
MacConkey agar for Gram-negative bacteria
Hektoen enteric agar (HE) which is selective for Gram-negative bacteria
Mannitol salt agar (MSA) which is selective for Gram-positive bacteria
and differential for mannitol
Terrific Broth (TB) is used with glycerol in cultivating recombinant
strains of Escherichia coli.
Xylose lysine desoxycholate (XLD), which is selective for Gram-negative
bacteria
Buffered charcoal yeast extract agar, which is selective for certain gramnegative bacteria, especially Legionella pneumophila
BairdParker agar for Gram-positive Staphylococci
Differential media
Differential media or indicator media distinguish one microorganism type
from another growing on the same media. This type of media uses the
biochemical characteristics of a microorganism growing in the presence of
specific nutrients or indicators (such as neutral red, phenol red, eosin y, or
methylene blue) added to the medium to visibly indicate the defining
characteristics of a microorganism. This type of media is used for the detection
of microorganisms and by molecular biologists to detect recombinant strains of
bacteria.
Examples of differential media include:
Blood agar (used in strep tests), which contains bovine heart blood that
becomes transparent in the presence of hemolytic Streptococcus
Eosin methylene blue (EMB), which is differential for lactose
fermentation
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Transport media
Transport media should fulfill the following criteria:
Enriched media
Enriched media contain the nutrients required to support the growth of a
wide variety of organisms, including some of the more fastidious ones. They are
commonly used to harvest as many different types of microbes as are present
in the specimen. Blood agar is an enriched medium in which nutritionally rich
whole blood supplements the basic nutrients. Chocolate agar is enriched with
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heat-treated blood (4045 C), which turns brown and gives the medium the
color for which it is named.
Medium Chart
Medium
Category
Medium
Composition
Medium
Function
Broth
Solid
medium
Semi-solid
medium
Deionized or
reverse
osmosis water
is mixed with
the powder
medium
Deionized
water or
reverse
osmosis
water + 1.5
to 2% agar
powder
Preparation and
former similar, but
agar concentration
of 1% or less
Natural
Synthesis
Semisynthetic
Contains
natural gut,
yeast and
other natural
biological
components,
complex
components
have names
because
complex
medium []
Components
for specific
synthetic
Mix of natural and
ingredients, synthetic
used for
ingredients
research
purposes
Foundation
Proliferation
Comprising a
protein, salt,
protein, yeast
Differential
medium
Choose
medium
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extract and
the like to
create an
environment
with microbial
growth
culture of
the specific
nutritional
needs of high
bacteria
composition
B chocolate
agar.Adding
sheep blood, Blood agar:
containing
Identification of
Factor X
hemolytic bacteria
(heme), V
factor (NAD)
A. EMB
medium
(same as
above)
EMB: Identification
of lactose
fermentation,
B.
intestinal
MacConkey
bacteria.Component
medium
contains lactose,
methylene blue,
basic medium. .
MacConkey:
Identification of
lactose-fermenting
bacteria.Component
contains lactose,
bile salts,
crystallization
promoter, Neutral
Red (inhibition of G
+ bacteria).Lactose
or intestinal
bacteria grow in red
colonies, while
others grow into
C TCBS
medium:
Basal
Medium, bile
salts,
sugars,
sulfate, citric
acid,
bromophenol
blue
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transparent.
D LJ
medium:
eggs, starch,
glycerin,
salts,
malachite
green
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