NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science Chapter 1 Components of Food

Class VI Science chapter 1 solutions and answers of other subjects are also given in PDF file format. Class 6 Science videos related to each chapter is also given to use free. Contents have been updated for the new CBSE Session based on latest NCERT Books.

Important Keywords

• Balanced diet: A diet which provides all the essential nutrients in the right amounts.
• Roughage: The fibre content of the food.
• Food components: All the nutrients present in the food.
• Deficiency diseases: Diseases that occur due to lack of vitamins and minerals in the body.
• Dehydration: A condition in which our body loses a large amount of water.
• Anaemia: A condition in which haemoglobin count decreases in the blood.

Main Points for Quick Revision

1. Our food has different components.
2. Carbohydrates and fats are energy-giving food.
3. Food processing may alter the quality of food.
4. Roughage helps to prevent constipation.
5. Proteins are body-building food, minerals and vitamins are for growth and carrying out body function.
6. We should take a balanced diet rich in all the nutrients.
7. Deficiency diseases are caused due to lack of minerals and vitamins in the body.

How to Study Class 6 Science Chapter 1

What do different Food Items contain?

This part of the content helps to understand the importance of consuming the right kind of food in proportion. As we know, food is essential for body movement all living organisms. If a person does not get food, he feels weak and likely to feel ill. Food provides energy for doing work, help in the growth of cells and protects our body from various diseases. Food is usually made up of many ingredients or components that are needed by our body called ‘Nutrients’. The major nutrients in our food are named Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats, Vitamins and Minerals that are required for the survival of living beings.

What do Various Nutrients do for our Body?

The components present in our food that normally, provide energy to our body are called Carbohydrates. Wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits are good sources of carbohydrates. Butter, ghee, groundnut, different oils are good sources of fats. Fats act as fuel in our body, but they provide more energy than carbohydrate. We have to remember that too much fat deposition is harmful to the body. Proteins type of food is also needed for the growth and repair of our body. If our body gets damaged or cut from sharp things, protein helps to heal that wound. Milk, fish, meat, cheese, moong, peas are a good source of proteins.

Vitamins and Minerals in Food

Vitamins and Minerals in Food Vitamin helps in protecting our body against diseases. There are different types of vitamins like Vitamin A, B, C, D, E, K required by our body. They help in keeping our eyes, skin, bone, teeth and gums healthy and fight against many diseases. Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, Iron, Zinc, Copper, Iodine are examples of minerals. Our body needs minerals and Vitamins in small amounts. Each one is essential for the proper growth of our body and to maintain good health. Two components of food that do not provide nutrients are water and roughage (dietary fibre).

Balance diet

In this part of the content gives an idea about regular diet and its importance in our lives. Fats, proteins and starch are not present in all food items. Some food items have fat; some have protein or starch, or some have the parts of nutrients. When the body does not get adequate nutrition, it is said to be suffering from malnutrition. The diet or food which contains all the essential nutrients in the right proportion is called a balanced diet. Thus, a balanced diet depends on the physical work done and the age of a person. Remember, a growing age person needs more protein diet as compared to an old age person.

Deficiency in Nutrition

This part of the chapter deals with different diseases caused by lack of nutrition. A person may be taking the right amount of food, but if he does not take one or two nutrients for a long time, the person may suffer from its deficiency, which may result in deficiency disease in that person. So, we should prevent these diseases and take a well Balanced diet. At last, we can say good ‘balanced diet’ is that which contains adequate amounts of all the nutrients as well as a sufficient quantity of water and roughage required by our body. The quantity of water required depends on the surrounding of the living organisms.

Deficiency Diseases

Sometimes we a person who has poor or loss of vision in the darkness. There may be the person is suffering from night blindness deficiency from vitamin A. If anybody has weak muscles and very little energy to work, it shows that he is suffering from Beriberi, lack of Vitamin-B 1. Proteins are Deficient, that may cause Kwashiorkor. Similarly, Deficiency of Vitamins can cause night blindness, beriberi anaemia scurvy and rickets. Water is also equally essential to us. Deficiency of water can cause dehydration also.

1. Given below are the steps to test the presence of proteins in a food item:
(i) Take a small quantity of the food item in a test tube, add 10 drops of water to it and shake it.
(ii) Make a paste or powder of food to be tested.
(iii) Add 10 drops of caustic soda solution to the test tube and shake well.
(iv) Add 2 drops of copper sulphate solution to it.
Which of the following is the correct sequence of the steps?
(a) i, ii, iv, iii (b) ii, i, iv, iii (c) ii, i, iii, iv (d) iv, ii, i, iii
Answer: (b) ii, i, iv, iii
2. Which one of the following food item does not provide dietary fibre?
(a) Whole grains (b) Whole pulses (c) Fruits and vegetables (d) Milk
Answer: (d) Milk
3. Which of the following nutrients is not present in milk?
(a) Protein (b) Vitamin C (d) Calcium (d) Vitamin D
Answer: (b) Vitamin C
Read the following statements about diseases.
(i) They are caused by germs.
(ii) They are caused due to lack of nutrients in our diet.
(iii) They can be passed on to another person through contact.
(iv) They can be prevented by taking a balanced diet.
4. Which pair of statements best describe a deficiency disease?
(a) (i) and (ii) (b) (ii) and (iii) (c) (ii) and (iv) (d) (i) and (iii)
Answer: (c) (ii) and (iv)

1. Fill in the blanks from the list of words given below:
(carbohydrate, fat, protein, starch, sugar, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, roughage, balanced diet, obesity, goitre)
(a) Egg yolk is rich in ____________ and egg albumin is rich in __________.
(b) Deficiency diseases can be prevented by taking a ___________.
(c) Eating too much of fat rich foods may lead to a condition called ____________.
(d) The component of food that does not provide any nutrient to our body and yet is essential in our food is ___________.
Answer: (a) fat, protein; (b) balanced diet; (c) obesity; (d) roughage

2. While using iodine in the laboratory, some drops of iodine fell on Paheli’s socks and some fell on her teacher’s saree. The drops of iodine on the saree turned blue black while their colour did not change on the socks. What can be the possible reason?
Answer: The saree of Paheli’s teacher might have been starched, and starch turns blue black with iodine solution. Paheli’s socks did not have starch on it thereby showing no change.