| Questions | 5 |
| Topics | Capillaries, Health Benefits of Vitamins & Minerals, Producers, Terrestrial Planets, Vitamins |
Capillaries are small thin-walled vessels that permit the exchange of oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, and waste between blood and the body's cells. This process of exchange is called diffusion.
| Vitamin / Mineral | Sources | Health Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Calcium | Dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese), spinach. | Aids bone growth and repair, muscle function. |
| Iron | Red meat, beans, whole grains. | Allows red blood cells to transfer oxygen to body tissues. |
| Magnesium | Nuts, whole grains, green leafy vegetables. | Muscle, nerve, and enzyme function. |
| Potassium | Bananas, nuts, seeds. | Helps balance fluid levels in the body. |
| Vitamin A | Liver, milk, eggs, carrots. | Vision, immune system, cell growth. |
| Vitamin C | Green and red peppers, citrus fruits, broccoli. | Collagen formation, immune system function, antioxidant (helps protect cells from damage). |
| Vitamin D | Exposure to sunlight. | Helps calcium strengthen bones, muscle, nerve, and immune system function. |
Producers (autotrophs) serve as a food source for other organisms. Typical producers are plants that can make their own food through photosynthesis and certain bacteria that are capable of converting inorganic substances into food through chemosynthesis
The four planets closest to the Sun (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) are called terrestrial (Earth-like) planets because, like the Earth, they're solid with inner metal cores covered by rocky surfaces.
Vitamins are necessary for a wide variety of bodily processes. Some vitamins like Vitamins A and C come from diet but others, like Vitamin D, are generated in response to sunlight.