Water and Human Body

The water is the most important nutrient and the most abundant substance in the human body.  Water comprises about three quarters of the human mass and is a major component in every cell.  In addition water is important to human health for many reasons; some of them are listed below.

Minerals and Their Function in Human Body

Calcium  >>>   Builds bones and teeth, muscle contraction, heart action, nerve impulses, blood clotting
Magnesium  >>>   Bones, liver, muscles, transfer of intercellular water, alkaline balance, neuromuscular activity
Sodium  >>>   Electrolyte balance, body fluid volume, nerve impulse condition

Vitamins

A vitamin is an organic compound required as a vital nutrient in tiny amounts by an organism.

The discovery dates of the different types of vitamins and their sources

Functions of Fats in the Human Body

•    Fats on oxidation provide nearly twice as much energy as that given by carbohydrates.
•    The main function of fats in the body is to provide energy: By supplying energy, fats save proteins from being used for energy and allow them to perform their more important role of building and repairing tissues.

Functions of Protein

Protein has a range of essential functions in the body, including the following:

•    Required for building and repair of body tissues (including muscle)
•    Enzymes, hormones, and many immune molecules are proteins
•    Essential body processes such as water balancing, nutrient transport, and muscle contractions require protein to function.

Functions of carbohydrates

As a source of energy: The main function of carbohydrate is to supply energy for the body processes. A greater part of the energy in the diet i.e more than 50-80%) is supplied by carbohydrates. Some of the carbohydrates are immediately utilized by the tissues and the remaining is stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles and some are stored as adipose tissues for future energy needs.

Nutrients

The nutrients are essential for biosynthesis. To run life human beings and other organisms performs some key functions termed as nutrition. This is one of the basic functions of life in which includes intake of food, digestion, absorption, assimilation and egestion of food. These exist mainly three categories of substances which provide energy to body when we take food. These substances and their characteristics are discussed below.

The nervous system

The nervous system is an organ system containing a network of specialized cells called neurons that coordinate the actions of an animal and transmit signals between different parts of its body. The nervous system in humans consists of three parts, central nervous system, peripheral nervous system and automatic nervous system.