Structure and Nutritional Importance of Carbohydrates, Lipids, and Proteins in Human Body

Task 2
Structure and nutritional importance of Carbohydrates in human
The meal will have carbohydrate which is made of the basic units of simple sugars as shown in
Fig. 1. They are monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides. In human body,
carbohydrates are the chief source of energy. This will provide the energy to the man to perform
the activities of daily life. Monosaccharides are the simple sugars. For example, glucose and
fructose. These monosaccharides have exact molecular formula, C6H12O6, but their structure
varies.
Fig. 1 Structure of Simple Carbohydrate – Glucose (Source-Byjus)
Disaccharides have two units of monosaccharides such as sucrose. It is composed of two
monosaccharides, glucose and fructose which are connected together. Polysaccharides are made
of multiple units mono or disaccharides. Glycogen is a polysaccharide found in human body
which has many glucose molecules.

Structure and nutritional importance of Lipids in human
Lipids are the fats and oils which the man is getting from the fish and chips. Fatty acids and
glycerol are the basic units which made the large molecules, called lipid. Like in Fig. 2, three
sequence of carbon atoms are linked to one glycerol molecule, with its three carbon atoms to
compose a single lipid molecule. Lipids are also a source of energy and also provide the sense of
satisfaction after eating. So, lipids help in growth and energy of the body. The body stores the
excess fat in the abdomen and under the skin so that it can be used when required for more
energy (Nordqvist, 2017)
Fig. 2 Structure of Lipids (Source- Khan Academy)
Structure and nutritional importance of Proteins in human
Proteins are the large molecules which are made up of many chains of amino acids as shown in
20 different naturally-occurring amino acids are found but all the protein molecules have several