ENERGY FOR ALL THE LIFE PROCESSES: 

All living organisms require energy to perform various activities.This energy is derived from the food we eat. Food contains several components called as NUTRIENTS.

• Energy giving nutrients: Carbohydrates, Fats.
• Body building nutrients: Proteins
• Protective and regulating nutrients: Vitamins and minerals.

The process of intake of nutrients and its utilization by an organism is called as NUTRITION.
Nutrition provides the raw materials needed to sustain the life. The way by which an organism obtains its food is the mode of nutrition.

"Good nutrition plays an important role in helping children and adolescents achieve good health"

There are two types of nutrition :

• AUTOTROPHIC NUTRITION
• HETEROTROPHIC NUTRITION

1. AUTOTROPHIC NUTRITION: A type of nutrition in which organisms synthesize the organic materials they require from inorganic sources. Chief sources of carbon and nitrogen are carbon dioxide and nitrates, respectively. All green plants are autotrophic and use light as a source of energy for the synthesis.

Plants make use of a process called as PHOTOSYNTHESIS to produce food within themselves. 

PHOTOSYNTHESIS:

Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy, normally from the Sun, into chemical energy that can be later released to fuel the organisms' activities.

2. HETEROTROPHIC NUTRITION : Heterotrophic nutrition is nutrition obtained by digesting organic compounds prepared by other plants or animal tissues. All animals and non-green plants cannot make their own food; hence they depend on others directly or indirectly for their food supply. They are called heterotrophs. They break down the complex compounds into simpler forms. Simply put, heterotrophs have to depend on other sources for their survival. They lack chlorophyll and thus cannot perform photosynthesis. It is generally performed in human beings and animals.

Thus, these two types of nutrition takes place in our day to day life. Without nutrition, we wouldn't have survived yet!  
Hence, here's the nutritional table we must follow to stay healthy and free from diseases.

EAT NUTRITIOUS FOOD, STAY HEALTHY!