Skip to content

Study Hub

Study Guides

This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.

Year 8 - Science

Food is a source of building materials and energy

Diet and exercise

Unit Summary

This unit covers the components of a healthy diet, energy requirements, and the effects of imbalances, exercise, asthma, and smoking on the body. It also focuses on planning scientific enquiries, applying mathematical concepts, performing calculations, and basic data analysis techniques.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain how food is used for growth and repair and to provide energy, and interpret information on food labels about the amounts of nutrients and energy provided by different foods.

Key Notes

  • Food is a source of building materials to make biomass for growth and repair.
  • Food also provides the fuel for cellular respiration, to provide energy for life processes.
  • Different individuals require different daily amounts of food and energy.
  • Food labels contain information on the content of the food and daily recommended amounts of nutrients and energy.
  • The amount of energy provided by food can be compared in kilojoules or calories.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • food: Source of building materials and energy for living organisms.
  • biomass: Dry mass of a living organism.
  • joule: Unit of energy.
  • kilojoule: 1 kilojoule is 1000 joules.
  • calorie: Unit of energy used on food labels.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Protein is the main source of energy in our diets.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the scientific idea in this lesson using two key points.

Food is a source of building materials to make biomass for growth and repair. Food also provides the fuel for cellular respiration, to provide energy for life processes.

2. Define this scientific word and use it in context. 'food'

Source of building materials and energy for living organisms. Include the word in a full scientific explanation, not as a single label.

3. Correct this common scientific misunderstanding.

Mistake: Protein is the main source of energy in our diets. Correction: Carbohydrates and fats are the main source of energy in our diets.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 8 Science guide library.