Every moment we are under attack by various disease-causing agents that could make us sick. Hence to stay alive and to thrive, the body is equipped with an immune system. The immune system consists of many parts including white blood cells (leukocytes), antibodies, bone marrow, lymph nodes, spleen, thymus and the tonsil. Here is a […]
This week we are studying how nutrients affect fluid balance. We can’t live without fluid. The human body is about 70% water. That means every chemical reaction that takes place in our body takes place in the presence of water. Without adequate water, chemical reactions necessary for life is slowed down or stopped. The amount […]
Electrolytes like sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) play a key role in the transfer of nerve impulses. Nerve impulses are created by stimuli in the environment such as sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. If the stimulus is strong enough, reaching a threshold of -55 mV, an action potential is triggered. In other words, the […]
The body has different ways in which it can regulate energy metabolism; that is, decide whether to increase energy or reduce energy production. Three ways are highlighted in this lesson. Allosteric Inhibition and Activation When there is lots of ATP, cells do not have to work so hard to make more. Therefore, it uses a […]
Role of Vitamins So far we have established that vitamins do not provide energy. However, they help to unlock the energy from macronutrients. They do this by acting as coenzymes at various stages of glycolysis and the TCA cycle. Here a list of vitamins and their role in energy metabolism. Thiamin (B1) Converted to thiamin […]
Protein is an important body-building raw material. The body prefers to use it for that purpose rather than to “cash it in” to make energy. It has glucose and fats to do that. However a small percentage (about 10%) is used to make energy and even more in times of starvation. So far you have […]
