Introduction
Composition of ...
Main Chemicals, Compounds, Components
Digestive System - (Saliva, Teeth, Stomach Acid)
The most important part of eating is the digestive system. Starting out with the mechanical process of chewing and the chemical process of salivation, food begins to be broken down. It then moves down the esophagus into the stomach, where it is further broken down in the acid of the stomach. Everything is moved to the intestines, where the nutrients from the food are absorbed through the intestinal walls into the bloodstream and are used to keep your body running. Waste is also removed from the body using the digestive system. Four types of food molecules are broken down and absorbed. Proteins are broken down into amino acids and absorbed individually. Fats are broken down into fatty acids and glycerol. Carbohydrates are broken into starch, fiber, and sugars. Vitamins are classified as A, B, C, D, E, F, and K. They are grouped by the fluid that they dissolve in.
The Brain - (Glucagon, Epinephrine, Ghrelin)
In the brain there are chemicals called neurotransmitters. These chemicals affect mood and feelings, and are created in the body. Glucagon, epinephrine, and ghrelin are the chemicals tied to hunger and satiety (the sensation of being full). They are released in the brain when your body needs food and while you are eating. Triggers for the release of these chemicals include lowering blood sugar levels, dropping blood levels of amino acids, and less fatty acids in the body.
Chemistry's Role
Chemistry, not only keeping you alive every second of every day, also is the reason you can eat. With chemistry, the body and everything in it is created naturally. While food is man-prepared, it also comes naturally in nature from the power of the sun. All processes in the body, including the digestive system and the brain, are naturally occurring and even man cannot tamper with them. Eating is made possible through the mechanical and chemical processes found in chemistry.
Background Research
Hunger, eating, and the pursuit of food have driven human evolution from the beginning of time. Eating is required for humans, as there is no other way to obtain the energy necessary to live any other way naturally. There are essentially two types of foods that are able to be eaten - meats and plants. This creates different eating lifestyles for humans. Across the world, there are many different eating practices, from what people eat and what people use to eat, to how people eat.
Resources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eating
signals of hunger and satiety
chemicals in the brain released before, during, after eating
eating practices of humans
http://www.balancedweightmanagement.com/Understand%20Brain%20Chemistry%20and%20Weight.htm
how chemicals in the brain affect moods and appetite
how nutrients in food affect moods and appetite
What is the digestive system
How it works
What chemicals break down food
Nerve regulators
http://www.eufic.org/article/en/artid/biology-of-food-choice/
why do we eat?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurotransmitter
neurotransmitters in the brain
why we do what we do
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunger_(motivational_state)
what is hunger
why hunger drives humans to eat and how
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food
what do humans eat
taste perception
how chemicals in the brain work
http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/194323
chemistry of glucagon
http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/epinephrine
chemistry of epinephrine
About the Author
Dave Miller is a junior at Billings Senior High. He runs cross country in the fall, rock climbs in the winter, and pole vaults in the spring. Along with all of his physical activity he eats a lot of food to keep in shape. Dave plans to go to college for an engineering or medical degree, although he doesn’t know where yet. He has two brothers and a black lab puppy.