O Level Biology: Nutrition and digestion, questions with answers

What is the main function of the villi in the ileum?

1. to increase the surface area to absorb digested foods
2. to move food particles along the ileum
3. to produce bile to assist the digestion of lipids
4. to remove undigested materials from the ileum

A person eats a carbohydrate meal. Two hours later, which structure has liquid with increased glucose concentration?

1. colon
2. hepatic portal vein
3. renal artery
4. ureter

Which disease can be the result of a dietary deficiency of both a mineral ion and a vitamin?

1. anaemia
2. diabetes
3. rickets
4. scurvy

Which row shows the diseases caused by lack of different nutrients in the diet? lack of iron / lack of vitamin C / lack of vitamin D

1. scurvy / anaemia / rickets
2. anaemia / rickets / scurvy
3. scurvy / rickets / anaemia
4. anaemia / scurvy / rickets

What is an example of assimilation?

1. absorption of glycerol into lacteals
2. breakdown of glycogen to glucose in the liver
3. building of proteins from amino acids
4. release of a hormone from a gland

Which statement about diets is correct?

1. A diet providing all the needs of an average man aged 70 can lead to malnutrition in an active boy aged 14.
2. Malnutrition can only occur if the body receives less of a nutrient than it requires.
3. Protein requirements in the diet increase throughout a person's life.
4. Very young children require a greater total energy intake than active adults.

Malnutrition is a global problem (1.9 billion overweight, 462 million underweight adults in 2020). (a) Explain what is meant by a balanced diet and outline its components. [4] (b) Discuss the effects on health of being underweight and of being overweight. [6]