Water Water is excreted from the body in multiple forms; including urine and feces, sweating and by water vapour in the exhaled breath. Therefore, it is necessary to adequately rehydrate…

Vitamins As with the minerals discussed above, some vitamins are recognized as essential nutrients, necessary in the diet for good health. (Vitamin D is the exception: it can be synthesized…

Minerals Dietary minerals are the chemical elements required by living organisms, other than the four elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen that are present in nearly all organic molecules. The…

Protein Proteins are the basis of many animal body structures (e.g. muscles, skin and hair). They also form the enzymes that control chemical reaction throughout the body. Each molecule is…

Carbohydrates Carbohydrates may be classified as monosaccharides, or polysaccharides depending on the number of monomer (sugar) units they contain. They constitute a large part of foods such as rice, noodles,…

Nutrients There are six major classes of nutrients: Carbohydrates, Fats, Minerals, Protein, Vitamins and Water. These nutrient classes can be categorized as either macronutrients (needed in relatively large amounts) or…

Photosynthesis Photosynthesis is a chemical process that converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds, especially sugars, using the energy from sunlight. Photosynthesis occurs in plants, algae and many species of bacteria,…

The biotic or the living components of the ecosystem are divided into two categories Autotroph and Heterotroph. Let us read about them in detail. Autotrophs Autotrophs are those organisms that are capable…