Download Chemistry in Medicine and Nutrition

CHEMISTRY IN
MEDICINE AND
NUTRITION
JULIA SHARIFF, MATT CHEANEY, IORI SANADA, REBECCA
STEWART, LOGAN MURRAY, AND XIAOLING WU
Acids in the Body and Food
Acids in the Body
Acids in Food
 Hydrochloric acid (HCl)
 Ascorbic acid (vitamin C, C₆H₈O₆)
◦ Stomach acid, used in digestion
◦ Repairs tissue, ligaments, tendons,
etc.
◦ pH of 2
◦ Creation of collagen
◦ Kills harmful bacteria
◦ Blocks damage from free radicals
 Lactic acid (C₃H₆O₃)
◦ Found in oranges, watermelon, kiwi,
◦ Found in dairy products as well as in
berries, and other vegetables
the body
 Citric acid (C₆H₈O₇)
◦ Produced in body during exercise
and metabolism
◦ Plays a role in metabolism (citric
acid cycle)
 Carbonic acid (H₂CO₃)
◦ Found in many fruits and vegetables
◦ Controls acidity in the body (buffer)
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The PH of a base solution is higher than 7
A strong base is a base which breaks down completely (raises
pH to 14)
An alkali is a special example of a base, where in an aqueous
environment, hydroxide ions are donated
Bases are bitter in taste
Slimy or soapy feel on fingers
Baking soda, antacids, and lye all contain bases
Used more in industry
Human Body PH about 7.4
Three important ways to regulate PH are chemical buffer, the
respiratory system, the urinary system
The most important chemical buffer is Bicarbonate (HCO3).
HCO3 + H = H20 + CO2
DIGESTION: BREAKDOWN BY DIGESTIVE
PATHWAY
-CHEMICAL PROCESS
-CARBOHYDRATES, PROTEINS, AND FATS
Mouth
 Starch hydrolysis: breaks down carbohydrates using the
enzyme salivary amylase
Stomach
 Main acid used for digestion is HCl (hydrochloric
acid used for digestion of proteins)
 Converts pepsinogen into pepsin (used for digestion of
proteins)
 Stomach is protected by alkaline mucus
 H₂O + CO₂  H₂CO₃
Intestines
 Small intestine
 Chyme (acidic mixture of partially digested food) meets
alkaline pancreatic juice and bile
 Fat-splitting enzymes (lipases) digest fats
 Large intestine
 Largely where water is absorbed
EXAMPLES OF CHEMICAL REACTIONS IN
DIGESTION
Oxidation of glucose (after digested into monosaccharide)
Digestion of proteins
CHEMICAL REACTIONS (CON.)
Reaction of glycerol
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End product of nitrogen
metabolism
◦ Ammonia, must be removed
from the body
◦ Converts it from ammonia to
urea
◦ Occurs in liver and is then
transported to kidneys
2 Ammonia + carbon dioxide +
3ATP ---> urea + water + 3 ADP
Any block in the urea cycle is
harmful to the human body
Extensive ammonia leads to
liver damages and death
Hyperammonemia can lead to
mental retardation
Nitrogen
Fourth most abundant element in the body
 2.5% of the weight in the body
 Constitutes a part of proteins
 Form skeleton of each cell
 If too much nitrogen is present it will be
broken down into ammonia
 Not enough will lead to no synthesis of amino
acids
 Found in any kind of meat
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 Second
most abundant element in the body
 85% found in bones and teeth
 Works with calcium for bone structure
 Provides phosphate for ATP
 Filters out waste in kidneys
 Needed for maintenance, growth, and repair
for cells
 Helps balance other vitamins and minerals
 Can be found in meat and milk, anything that
delivers calcium and protein will have
phosphorus
Carbon
 Makes
up the structure of our bodies
 Connects and builds different elements
together
 18% mass of the human body
 Carbon is found in almost all foods
• Supports cellular respiration, metabolism
• Breathing, diffusion with the blood (heme groups and
hemoglobin)
• “electron acceptor” in mitochondria, generates chemical
energy
• Many enzymes will use oxygen to catalyze their reactions
(oxidation reactions)
• Burns (oxidizes) food to create energy for our bodies
• 65% mass of the human body
Oxygen
• The most abundant
mineral in human
body
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99% of Calcium is
found in bones and
teeth
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1% of Calcium help
heart, nerve, muscles to
work
• Help youth to grow
• Help older people to
prevent losing their
bones
How do we get Calcium?
• Daily products such as eggs, milk,
cheese
• Green Vegetables such as broccoli,
spinach
• Other food – nuts, bread, rice, cereals,
sesame seeds
• From Supplements
• People who are 19-50 should
take 1000mg per day
• Taking too much Calcium
could cause stomach upset,
nausea, constipation
What is Hydrogen?
• The most abundant element in the universe, makes up about 90% of all
atoms
• The lightest and smallest element, travel throughout the body
• Water is made up of two-thirds hydrogen atoms and one-third oxygen
atom
• Over 60% of human body is water
• Hydrogen ions are transported to the mitochondria of the cells which
uses hydrogen to create ATP
• Slows down the aging process
Hydrogen Trivia!
How do we get Hydrogen?
• Mostly from water
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Deuterium – one in every 6000 hydrogen
atoms has a neutron as well as a proton in
its nucleus
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Tritium – Very rare hydrogen atoms have
two neutrons as well as the proton
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http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/calcium-000290.htm
http://cancerhelp.cancerresearchuk.org/coping-with-cancer/copingphysically/calcium/your-body-and-calcium
http://www.livestrong.com/article/28599-hydrogen-used-body/
http://www.houseandhome.org/tag/hydrogen-trivia
http://genesismission.jpl.nasa.gov/science/mod2_aei/fig12.gif
http://www.rawfoodexplained.com/digestive-physiology-and-food-combining/thechemistry-and-physiology-of-digestion.html
http://tuberose.com/Digestion.html
http://www2.ufp.pt/~pedros/qfisio/digestion.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base_(chemistry
http://www.oxygen-review.com/human-body.html
http://www.mii.org/periodic/lifeelement.html
http://www.chemicool.com/elements/nitrogen.html
http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/633ureacycle.html
http://medschool.umaryland.edu
http://www.scienceclarified.com/everyday/Real-Life-Chemistry-Vol-2/Acids-andBases-Real-life-applications.html
http://www.mikalac.com/tech/met/org.html
http://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm#adipic
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/vitamin-c-000339.htm