«Minerals and human body»

1. Письменно переведите текст на русский язык.

There are 88 chemical elements in the crust of the earth. All the plant and animal life is composed of some of these elements.

Many chemists have contributed to our knowledge of the roles of the various mineral elements in nutrition.

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. The average man contains over 2.5 lb* of it of which 93% is in the bones and teeth. There is only 1 part of calcium in 10,000 parts of blood, but it serves several purposes; it controls the texture of the cell membranes, affects the heartbeat and the nerve and muscle action, and regulates the activity of several enzymes.

The bones and teeth contain about half as much phosphorus as calcium, but the soft tissues contain more phosphorus than calcium.

Phosphorus, like calcium, is not simply a structural element of the body but it takes part in metabolism. Phosphorus combines with the fats and the proteins to form compounds that are essential components of the heart, brain, and other vital organs.

There is less than 3 gm of iron in the adult human body. It is a part of several tissues, although most of it is in the blood and nearly all of it is combined with protein. The iron in blood is part of the protein, hemoglobin, which makes up the greater portion of the red corpuscles. It is the iron in this protein that carries oxygen to all the tissues of the body; each molecule of hemoglobin can carry four molecules of oxygen. If there is not enough iron supplied in the blood, anemia results.

* libra = pound – фунт (423г)

1. Расскажите по-английски о роли минералов в питании человека.

2. Дайте краткую характеристику основных минеральных веществ на английском языке. Unit 7

«WATER»

Active Vocabulary:

cell – клетка;

tissue – ткань;

to consume – потреблять, использовать, расходовать;

to increase – увеличивать, повышать, усиливать;

fluid – жидкость, жидкая среда;

to waste – расходовать;

wastes – потери, отходы;

to ooze out – проступать наружу, испаряться;

latent – скрытый, неактивный;

strenuous – трудный, требующий усилий, усердный, энергичный;

produce – продукция ( плодоовощная), овощи и фрукты;

medium (media) – среда;

to excrete – выделять, выводить шлаки из организма;

to dehydrate – терять воду, обезвоживать;

lubrication - смазка, смазывание;

mucus - слизь

PRE-TEXT EXERCISES

1. Переведите на русский язык данные словосочетания.

an inorganic substance; to be considered a food; an essential part of a man’s diet; to help in preparing food for assimilation; cell protoplasm; blood plasma; intercellular fluid; to place an important role; to be the solvent for all the salts; to be absorbed or digested by the body; to act as a solvent; from the digestive tract to the blood; to provide a good medium for excreting body wastes; the process of sweating and evaporation; to ooze out through the skin; latent heat; the skin cools down; survival time; to take into account a person’s medical condition, exercise habits, and living environment; altitude location; during strenuous exercise; a huge source of wasted calories in our diet.

Water is an inorganic substance made up of hydrogen and oxygen. Water is not considered a food because it does not give energy like carbohydrates and fats or builds body tissues like proteins. Water is, however, an essential part of a man’s diet because it helps in preparing food for assimilation by the body. Water is present in the cell protoplasm, blood plasma and in the intercellular fluid in the tissues. In fact, about two – third of a man’s body weight is the water in the tissues of his body. Water places an important role in a large number of process like digestion, transport and helps in regulation of body temperature.

Water is the solvent for all the salts in the body and it is the medium which all chemicals reaction take place in the body. Water is a good solvent so it dissolves the food nutrients which can then be absorbed or digested by the body. Water acts as a solvent for transporting dissolved food materials from the digestive tract to the blood. Water also dissolves the waste material of our body and hence provide a good medium for excreting body wastes. An important role of water in our body is to regulate the body temperature, the process of sweating and evaporation. When the outside temperature is high, the water oozes out through the skin in the form of sweat. When this water evaporates from our body, it takes the latent heat of vaporization from skin. By losing heat, the skin cools down a little and we feel comfortable. The survival time without water is very short. Without water, the body cells cannot function and they die.

The amount of water needed by body depends on one’s age, type of work, and the climate. Generally speaking, people should consume approximately 2 to 3 liters of fluid each day. This does not take into account a person’s medical condition, exercise habits, and living environment (high altitude location or extremely hot area). Day-to-day activities may also increase ones need for fluid. For example, water requirements are increased when flying or during strenuous exercise.

Besides drinking water, we take in a lot of fluids in the food that we eat. Many fruits and vegetables have a high water content, another reason why we should eat a lot of fresh produce. One hundred percent fruit juice also contributes fluid to our diet, as do other beverages such as coffee and soda, though in small amounts. Caffeine, however, is dehydrating and can cause you to lose water. Soda and many fruit juices are a huge source of wasted calories in our diet. Try seltzer water with a splash of 100% fruit juice instead of soda for flavor without as much of a caloric punch.