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Nutrition in Animals
![9.1 Nutrition in Animals - Life Processes in Animals - [Teachoo] - Concepts](https://cdn.teachoo.com/test/956f14f3-dbc4-4480-9391-47b9862159ad/image-collage-of-animals-eating-differently-bees-on-flowers-a-python-swallowing-prey-an-infant-feeding-on-mother-s-milk-a-fish-filteri.jpg)
- All animals eat food to survive.
- Using food for energy, growth, and repair is called nutrition .
- Different animals get food differently — bees suck nectar, snakes swallow prey, fish filter particles.
- Animals get energy from food to carry out all life processes.
Example 1 — A Bee
- A bee sucks nectar from flowers.
- The nectar gives it energy to fly.
- This is how a bee gets nutrition.
Example 2 — A Python
- A python swallows a rat whole.
- It uses the rat for energy and growth.
- This is how a python gets nutrition.
Important Points
- Nutrition = eating food and using it for energy, growth, and repair.
- All animals get nutrition — but in different ways.
Definition — Nutrition
Process of taking in food and using it for energy, growth, and repair.
The Alimentary Canal
- Food contains complex components — carbohydrates, proteins, and fats .
- These are too big for the body to use directly.
- They break down inside a long tube called the alimentary canal — from mouth to anus.
- Digestive juices break food into simple forms.
- Simple forms are absorbed into blood and reach all body parts.
Example 1 — Roti
- Roti travels through the alimentary canal from mouth to anus.
- Digestive juices break the starch into simple sugar along the way.
- The sugar enters the blood and gives energy to the body.
Example 2 — Paneer
- Paneer travels through the alimentary canal.
- Digestive juices break the protein into simple pieces.
- These simple pieces reach the muscles through blood.
Important Points
- Alimentary canal = long tube, mouth to anus, where digestion happens.
- Digestive juices = secreted at different parts, break complex food into simple forms.
- Simple food = absorbed into blood, reaches whole body.
Definition — Alimentary Canal
Long tube from mouth to anus where food is digested and absorbed.
It includes the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus.
What Is in Our Food?
- The food we eat — roti, dal, paneer, rice — contains three main components.
- Carbohydrates give the body energy — starch in chapati, sugar in fruits.
- Proteins help the body grow and repair — dal, paneer, and eggs are rich in protein.
- Fats store energy and protect organs — ghee, oil, and butter contain fats.
- The body cannot absorb these directly — they are too big and complex.
Where Does Digestion Happen?
- Digestion happens inside a long tube called the alimentary canal — from mouth to anus.
- As food moves through the canal, digestive juices break it into simpler forms.
- These simple forms are absorbed into the blood and carried to every cell.
The Digestive Journey
Mouth
Teeth chew · Saliva breaks starch
↓
Food Pipe (Oesophagus)
Wave-like motion pushes food down
↓
Stomach
Digestive juice, acid & mucus churn food
↓
Small Intestine
Bile & pancreatic juice complete digestion · nutrients absorbed
↓
Large Intestine
Water absorbed · stool formed
↓
Anus — Egestion
