The Human’s Food

And Its Main Function

By: Nikko Adhitama

1. The Function of Food

Food is the main factor that determines the individual health.

Every people need the nutritious food. The sum of food that we eat is
not the same with the other because every people have different food
capacity.
The food substances can divide into two kinds, which are the
macro substances (macronutrient) consist of carbohydrate, fat, and
protein this substances are very needed in our body in large
quantities; and the micro food substance (micronutrient) that consist of
vitamin and mineral this substances also very needed in our body but
in small quantities. Water is including food because metabolism
progress of food substance, water always needed as the essential
matter on the food substance progress in our body.
When the respiration progress is happening in our cells, occur
to the biology oxidation. The biology oxidation is the reaction between
the food with oxygen and produce energy. The produced energy used
to do all living progress. It also uses to pretend our normal
temperature, 98.60F, or 370C.

2. The Food Substance

There are six kinds of the needed substance. The carbohydrate,

mineral, protein, fat, vitamin, and water.
• Carbohydrate
Carbohydrate is the complex compound that consists of element
of carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) with the molecule formula
CnH2nOn. Carbohydrate is the main power source for the body. On the
cell respiration, a gram of carbohydrate molecule produces energy
about 4.1 kkal, and produce CO2 gas and water (H2O).
The fission of carbohydrate shaped glucose that becomes the
most important part of complex reaction. Energy in the shape of ATP
will be result on every glucose fission reaction. The supply of
carbohydrate in our body is about 40%. High carbohydrate divides
into 3 kinds. Monosaccharide, disaccharide, and polysaccharide.
I Monosaccharide
Monosaccharide has general formula Cn (H2O) n. the
carbohydrate named based on the sum of carbon that found on it.
Triosa consist of three carbon atoms (glyceraldehydes and hydroxyl
acetone. Tetrosa consist of four carbon atoms. Pentose consist five
carbon atoms (ribose and deoksiribosa). Hektosa consist six carbon
atoms, and sedoheptulosa consist seven carbon atoms.

1
 All of monosaccharide is preduction sugar and the easier
substance that can absorb by our blood. All of monosaccharide
soluble in the water and taste sweet.
a. Glucose
Glucose generally found in many kinds of fruits, honey, seeds,
roots, leaves, and inside blood. Glucose is the easiest substance that
can be burn on the cell respiration progress, the progress that
produces energy, CO2, and
water vapour. On the muscle
tissues, energy uses to move
and warm the body. The
normal blood consists of 70
until 100 mg glucose per 100
ml blood. If the glucose
degree is higher than the
limit called hyperglycaemia.
But if the glucose degree
lower than the limit called
hypoglycaemia.
b. Fructose
Fructose generally
found in many king of fruits
and honey. On honey,
fructose mixture with glucose. The fructose taste is the sweetest.
c. Galaktose
Galaktose is a kind of monosaccharide that found it the milk
water.
II Disaccharide
Disaccharide has general formula C12H22O11. Disaccharide
consist of two Hektosa that deficit a water molecule. The examples of
disaccharide are listed below:
a. Sucrose
Sucrose usually found in the fruits, stem, and the sweet seeds
on the high-class plants. Sucrose consists of glucose and fructose. It
proof on the hydrolysis progress using acid or sukrasae enzyme,
result by glucose and fructose. Sucrose is not the preduction sugar
b. Lactose
Lactose or milk sugar found at the milk of mammal animals.
Lactose consists of glucose and galaktose. On the hydrolysis progress
using acid or lactase enzyme, result by glucose and galaktose. Lactose
is the preduction sugar. The reaction showed on the picture below:

2
 c. Maltose
Maltose usually found in the barli seeds. A Barli seed is a kind
of rice plant that uses to make beer and whiskey. On the hydrolysis
progress using acid or maltase enzyme, result two glucose molecules.
Maltose also the preduction sugar.
III Polysaccharide (Complex Carbohydrate)
Polysaccharide consists of a few monosaccharides. Because of
it, polysaccharide is the complex carbohydrate. If we put it in the
water (H2O), polysaccharide becomes the colloid solution.
Polysaccharide is not the preduction sugar and does not taste sweet.
The kind of polysaccharide is amilum (starch), glycogen, and cellulose.
a. Starch (Amilum)
Amilum is the secondary food on seeds, roots, stem, tubers, and
kormus. If amilum hydrolysis by boiling water that mix with acid, will
shaped maltose and become glucose. Amilum in cold condition cannot
soluble in the water. Nevertheless, when it put in the boiled water it
will soluble and shaped jelly when it begin to cold. Food that consists
of starch is the source of carbohydrate. In the digestion progress,
amilum broke become maltose by amylase enzyme.
b. Glycogen
Glycogen found in the liver and the vertebrate animal’s muscle.
It also generally called animal starch (pati hewan) because it usually
becomes secondary food substations. On the hydrolysis progress
using acid or diastase enzyme, result maltose that become glucose.
Glycogen can change to be glucose and vice versa.
c. Cellulose
Cellulose is the main part of the plant cell wall. Cellulose cannot
digest by the mammal digestion system, except masticate animals
because they have protozoa bacteria in their digestion organ. Cellulose
cannot soluble in the water, and in the body stimulate muscle in the
digestion channel. Cellulose can accelerate the digestion progress and
prevent the digestion channel interference.

Carbohydrate in the body has several functions below:

• As the main source of energy. Several main organs like
brain, eye lens, and neuron cell their energy source is
glucose and cannot be change with the other.
• Keep the equilibrium between acid and alkali and the
formation of secondary cell and other organs.
• Helping the calcium absorption progress.
• Has important character on the genetic structural. Like
ribose (carbohydrate atom C5) that the main component of
nucleate acid DNA (Deribonucleate Acid) and RNA
(Ribonucleate Acid).
• Material framer other chemical compounds like fat, and
protein.

Some main carbohydrate listed on the list below.

3
 Name General Structural Function
Formula Information
Glucose C6H12O6 Monosaccharide, 6 The main subunit biggest
carbon atom framer of carbohydrate
Sucrose C11H22O11 Disaccharide, 12 atom The carbohydrate savings as the
carbon main source of energy
Amilose - Polysaccharide (starch) The starch saving on plants,
found on tuber, and rice plants
Amilopektin - Polysaccharide (starch) The starch saving on plants,
found on tuber, and rice plants
Glycogen - Polysaccharide The glucose savings on animal
as the secondary food.
Cellulose - Polysaccharide The cell wall structure on plants
and algae
Kitin - Polysaccharide, The endoskeleton framer on
polymer N acetyl Arthropod and Fungi
glucosamin
• Protein
Protein consists of carbon element (C), hydrogen (H), oxygen (O),
and nitrogen (N). Some of them also consist of sulphur (S) and
Phosphor (P). Because of it, protein is the complex substancy.
A few function of protein are listed below
• For growth, repairment, and the body cell treatments.
• The hormone arrangement, enzyme, antibody substance,
and the other organelles.
• The energy source. Every a gram of protein result energy
about 4.1 kkal.
• Keep the equilibrium between acid and alkali and the
other liquid in the body.
Based on its origin, protein can be divided into two kinds.
• Protein of an animal. Comes from animals. Generally
consist of complete protein.
• Phyto protein. Comes from many kinds of plants.
Generally consist of incomplete protein.
I Amino Acid
Amino acid is the smallest compound that arranges protein. The
sum of main amino acid is 20. On behalf body need, amino acid
divided into two kinds
a. Essential Amino Acid
Essential amino acid is the most needed substance from the
outside of body like arginin, phenylalanine, histidin, isoleusin, leusin,
lysine, methionin, theonin, triptofan, and valim.
b. Nonessential Amino Acid
The amino acids that can synthesis by our body like
asparagines, aspartat acid, glutamate acid, etc.

4
 The essential and nonessential amino acid

Essential for
Essential for Adult Nonessential Still Unknown
Baby
Alanine
Isoleusin Asparagines
Leusin Aspartat acid
Lysine Sistein
Hydroksiprolin
Methionin Arginin Glutamate acid
Norleusin
Phenylalanine Histidin Glutamine
Tyrosine
Treonin Glisine
Triptofan Proline
Valin Serine
tyrosine

Some main protein listed on the list below.

NO Kind of Protein Function

1 Actins Muscle contraction
2 Myosin Muscle contraction
3 Distropin Muscle reaction
4 Antibody Immunity
5 Antigen Immunity
6 Cytokine Immunity
7 Karbohidrase Digestion enzyme
8 Lipase Digestion enzyme
9 Protease Digestion enzyme
10 Casein Milk protein
11 Collagen Vascular bandle
12 Elastin Vascular bandle
13 “Colony Stimulating Factor” Blood cell framer
14 DNA Polymerase DNA replication
15 Feritin Fe transport
16 Fibrin Blood freezing
17 Thrombin Blood freezing
18 Factor tumbuh Cell multiplication
19 Hemogoblin Oxygen transport
20 Miogoblin Oxygen transport
21 Insulin The blood glucose equilibrium
22 Glucagons The blood glucose equilibrium
23 Integrin Cell adesi
24 Laminin Cell adesi
25 Keratin Hair structure
26 Tubulin Cell movement
27 Cancer suppressor Anti cancer
• Fat
The fat molecule consists of carbon element (C), hydrogen (H),
and oxygen (O). But usually also found phosphor (P) and nitrogen (N).

5
 Fat is the organic compound that cannot soluble in the water
but soluble on the organic solvent substance.
Fat has function listed below
• The carrier for the essential food substance like fat acid,
and vitamin solvent.
• The constant energy source, that gives 9.3 kkal per
gram.
• The body utensil protector for cold and injury.
• The delicious food
• The hungry holding
The other term of fat is lipid that divided into three kinds. The
simple fat, mixture fat, and original fat. The simple fat is fat and oil.
The mixture fat is phospholipids and lipoprotein.
Phospholipids make the body cell wall structure. About 80%
cholesterol in the body uses by liver. For the main substance to
synthesis the gall acid, kholat acid, and the other substances that
very needed in the fat absorption system. Lipoprotein uses to take
some kinds of food substance from digestion channel to the cells and
body tissues.
The original fat consists of fat acid and sterol.
• Vitamin
Based on the origin, vitamin divided into two kinds.
• The soluble vitamin (B, and C)
• The cannot soluble vitamin (A, D, E, and K)
Here showed the soluble vitamin,
Vitamin Source Function Less Symptom
Vitamin Vegetables and Make collagen, take The damage on
C/askorbinat fruit care the artery and endosil cell
acid (C6H8O6) vena.
Vitamin Seeds, rice, etc Take care the food Beri-beri
B1/Thamin desire
(C12H17ON4S)
• Mineral
The mineral element divides two kinds. Macroelemen and
microelement.
• Macroelemen
This element needed in big quantities like Natrium, kalium,
phosphor, magnesium, etc. Usually this element found in the fruits
• Microelement
This element needed in small quantities like feron, yodium, etc.
Usually this element found in the fruits