Matter and Chemical Reactions — Nutritional Chemistry

About this lesson

This lesson, titled 'Nutritional Chemistry', is part of a unit on matter and chemical reactions. It introduces the three main types of nutrients in food: carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. For each nutrient, the text explains its chemical composition, common food sources, its importance in nutrition and industry, and provides a practical activity to detect its presence in food. The activities include using Benedict's solution to test for glucose, iodine solution to test for starch, Sudan (IV) solution to test for fats, and Biuret solution to test for proteins. The lesson also discusses the relationship between carbohydrates and fats, the health risks of cholesterol, and the role of proteins in building muscles and forming enzymes and antibodies. It includes cross-cutting concepts about energy and matter, and raises issues such as plant-based diets and the dangers of excessive dietary supplements.