Food and Our Bodies
What are the two main reasons our bodies need food?
To provide energy and building blocks for growth and repair.
Where does nearly all the food people eat originally come from?
Plants and animals.
What is the original source of energy for almost all the food we eat?
The Sun.
What does energy transfer mean?
Energy moving from one object or living thing to another.
How does our body tell us that we need more energy?
We feel hungry.
What body system breaks down food so nutrients can be absorbed?
The digestive system.
Which food contains a greater variety of nutrients, broccoli or candy?
Broccoli
What process allows plants to use sunlight to make their own food?
Photosynthesis
How does a caterpillar obtain energy from a plant?
By eating the plant and obtaining some of the chemical energy stored in it.
True or False: Flamingos are pink because they eat foods that are pink.
True
Name three activities our bodies use energy from food to perform.
Any three: walking, running, thinking, talking, or staying warm.
What is the difference between the nutrients found in broccoli and those found in candy?
Broccoli contains many nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, fiber, carbohydrates, and protein.
Candy mainly provides sugar
What three things do plants need for photosynthesis?
Sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide.
Why do animals need to eat plants or other animals instead of making their own food through photosynthesis?
Animals cannot make their own food through photosynthesis.
Animals obtain energy and nutrients by eating other organisms.
What evidence did the scientists find that steak, candy, and grass all contain stored energy?
They were able to burn the materials with the help of an oxidizer, demonstrating that each contained stored chemical energy.
What happens to food after it enters our digestive system?
The digestive system breaks down food into smaller pieces and nutrients that the body absorbs and uses for energy, growth, and repair.
Why does our body need more than just sugar to stay healthy?
Our bodies need a variety of nutrients to provide energy and the building blocks needed to grow, repair tissues, and function properly.
What type of energy does a plant convert sunlight into during photosynthesis?
Chemical energy stored in sugars.
Explain how energy from the Sun eventually reaches a person who eats turkey.
HINT - Think of a food chain.
The Sun provides energy to a plant through photosynthesis.
A caterpillar eats the plant, a turkey eats the caterpillar, and a person eats the turkey.
Why isn't it healthy for a person to eat only candy, even though candy contains energy?
Candy provides sugar for energy but does not provide all the different nutrients the body needs to grow, repair itself, and stay healthy.
When scientists say our bodies "burn" food for energy, why doesn't that mean food is actually on fire inside us?
Our bodies use chemical processes to slowly break down food and release usable energy without producing flames.
According to the Generation Genius lesson, why are vitamins alone not considered food?
Vitamins provide materials that help our bodies grow and repair, but they do not provide energy. Food must provide both energy and building blocks.
How can a plant grow without soil, and what is this type of growing called?
A plant can grow using water containing dissolved minerals, sunlight, and carbon dioxide from the air. This is called hydroponics.
If a person eats a hamburger, how can the energy in the meat be traced back to the Sun?
Human -->hamburger-->cow-->grass-->sun
Put these five items in the correct order to show how energy transfers through an ocean food chain: seal, plankton, shark, fish, Sun.
Sun → Plankton → Fish → Seal → Shark.