A BRIEF DISCUSSION ON THE STRATEGY FOR UPSC (05:02 PM)

STRATEGY (05:18 PM)

• Classes- 07- primary source 
• Current Affairs Magazine
• NCERT Class 6-8
• Class IXth and Xth science
• Class XI and XII Biology book- Use it for reference

FOOD AND NUTRITION (05:32 PM)

• Nutrients are substances in our food that are essential to the life and health of a person providing us with energy and acting as building blocks for repair and growth. 
• Macronutrients- These nutrients are needed in large quantities and form a major part of our food. Examples- Carbohydrates, proteins, and Fats. 
• Micronutrients- These are those which are needed in smaller quantities and form a minor part of our food. Example- Vitamins and Minerals

CARBOHYDRATES (05:37 PM) 

• These are the main macronutrient by which the body gets energy. They are organic compounds that contain Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen. 
• 
• Types of carbohydrates
• Monosaccharides
• Monosaccharides are the simplest form of carbohydrates that contain a single unit.
• Examples- Glucose (the main energy source of the body), Fructose (Fruit Sugar), Galactose (It is a component of Milk Sugar)
• Oligosaccharides 
• These are formed by the joining of 2-10 units by Glycosidic bonds. 
• Example- Sucrose (Common table sugar. It contains Glucose and Fructose),
• Lactose (Milk Sugar is made up of Glucose and Galactose),
• Maltose (It is found in all malt or cereal-based syrups. for Example- Corn Syrup, Barley syrups, and Maple Syrups. It is made up of Glucose and Glucose). 
• Polysaccharides 
• Polysaccharides are complex carbohydrates that are made up of more than 10 units joined together by Glycosidic bonds. 
• Examples- Glycogen, Starch, and Cellulose. All these three are made up of Glucose.  
• Cellulose and Starch are found only in Plants. Cellulose makes the cell wall of plants.  
• Glycogen is found only in Animals. 
• Note- When there is excess glucose in the system then the body stores the excess glucose. Starch is the storage structure of glucose in plants and Glycogen is the storage of glucose in Animals. 

PROTEINS (06:12 PM)

• Source- Pulses, Nuts, chicken, Eggs, etc 
• Proteins are nitrogenous organic compounds that contain Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Nitrogen. They are made up of long chains of Amino Acids joined by Peptide bonds. 
• Types of Proteins
• Fibrous protein-  The amino acid chain run parallel in a linear pattern. They form the structural protein of the body.
• Examples- Myosin in muscles, Collagen in the skin, and Alpha-keratin in Hair and nails.  
• [* Collagen Fillers are used in Anti-ageing treatment. ]
• 
• Globular protein- The amino acid chains are arranged in a spherical shape and they form the functional proteins of the body. 
• Examples- Some hormones are proteins such as Insulin, Blood plasma protein. 
• Enzymes- Enzymes are bio-catalysts that help in different chemical reactions in the body. Lactose breaks down in the Glucose and Galactose in the presence of the Lactase enzyme. Persons affected by the Lactose-intolerant lack in the production of Lactase. 

FATS (06:52 PM)

• Sources of Fats- Meat, Oil, Butter, Nuts. 
• Fats are organic compounds of carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen which are insoluble in water. 
• The major form in which fats are present in the body is Triglycerides. It is made up of three units of Fatty Acids and one unit of Glycerol joined by an Ester bond. 
• Types of Fatty Acids 
• Saturated Fatty acids-
• No double bonds.
• Most of the time, these are from animal sources.
• Most of the time, these are solid at room temperature. 
• Example- Ghee, Butter, Cheese, Cream, Coconut oil.  
• Unsaturated Fatty acids-
• These have double bonds.
• Most of the time, these are from Plant sources.
• Most of the time, these are Liquid at room temperature
• These are of two types -
• a) Monounsaturated fatty Acids- Only one double bond. These are abbreviated as MUFA. Examples- Olive oil, Sesame oil, and Avocado. 
• b) Polyunsaturated fatty Acids- More than one double bond. These are abbreviated as PUFA. Examples- Almonds, Walnuts, and Fish/ Fish oil. 
• Transfats 
• Transfats are a type of unsaturated Fatty acids that are industrially hydrogenated to change to solid forms. Examples- Vanaspati Ghee, Fried and processed foods, and certain bakery products. 
• Functions of fats  
• They help in the formation of some vitamins- Vitamin A, D
• They help in the formation of some hormones- Sex hormones
• They help in the formation of cell membranes.
• They act as signal molecules of the Brain.
• Good fats v/s bad fats -
• MUFA and PUFA are considered Good fats whereas Transfats are considered bad fats.
• Processed foods, Cheese, Butter etc should be taken in moderate amounts.
• Diets based on fish are considered healthy as it contains Good fats of PUFA.
• Olive oils, Nuts etc are considered Good fats.
• Challenges with the fats
• Fats gets deposited in the blood vessel thus decreasing the area inside the blood vessels which increases the blood pressure. 
• 

MICRONUTRIENTS (07:32 PM)

• Vitamins
• They are micronutrients that are needed in small quantities for the proper functioning of an organism. Most of these cannot be produced in the body so have to be taken as a part of our diet. 
• Water soluble vitamins dissolve only in water- For example- Vitamin B-complex and Vitamin C.  
• Fat-soluble vitamins dissolve only in fats. For example- Vitamin, A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and Vitamin K. 
• Water soluble vitamins 
• 1) Vitamin B1- Thiamine- Sources are Milk, peanuts, and pulses. Due to the deficiency of the B1, a disease called Ber-Beri. The symptoms are retarded growth. 
• 2) Vitamin B2- Riboflavin-  Sources are Milk, Bananas, and Green leafy vegetables. Due to the deficiency of the B2, a disease called Cheilosis. The symptoms are the development of cracks at the corner of the mouth.
• 3) Vitamin B12- Cynaocobalamine- sources are Meats, eggs and it is also produced by the bacteria present in our intestine. Vitamin B12 helps in the formation of Haemoglobin. Due to the lack of Haemoglobin, Pernicious Anaemia is caused. 
• 4) Vitamin C- Ascorbic Acid- The sources are citrus fruits such as Lemon, oranges, etc. The deficiency disease is Scurvy. [* It was first identified as Sailors disease]. The symptom is bleeding gums. 
• Fat-soluble vitamins
• a) Vitamin A- Retinol- Sources are Fish oil, carrots, Milk and deficiency disease is Night Blindness
• b) Vitamin D- Calciferol- Sources are exposure of the skin to sunlight. The role of Vitamin D is very critical in our body as it helps in the absorption of calcium. The deficiency disease is called Rickets
• c) Vitamin E- Tocopherol- sources are Pumpkins, Vegetable oils. Deficiency will cause Muscle weakness and reduced fertility in males. 
• d) Vitamin K- Phylloquinone- Sources are green leafy vegetables and tomatoes. These are helpful in the clotting of blood. Deficiency will increase the clotting time. More time in clotting will lead to blood loss. 
• Homework
• Class VI- NCERT Chapter 1

The Topic for the next class:- Minerals, Cell Biology.