Foods and Nutrition Paper 2, WASSCE (PC), 2019

Question 6

 

OBSERVATION
Question 6 (a) required candidates to state in a tabular form: two macro nutrients; one function of each macro nutrient stated in 6 (a) (i) above; and two food sources of each macro nutrient stated in 6 (a) (i) above.
This question was well attempted and one of candidates’ strength. They were able to state macro nutrients such as protein, carbohydrate, calcium, fats and oil, sodium etc, and they also performed well in providing the function of ach macro nutrient stated and their food sources.

 

On the contrary, questions 6 (b) and (c) were candidates’ weaknesses. The question in 6 (b) was What are essential aminoacids? and the expected response is ‘essential amino acids are the amino acids that the body cannot manufacture/synthesizes and have to be obtained from food’. However, candidates were unable to give the meaning of essential amino acids as required of them, instead, they listed examples of amino acids such as tryptophan, arginine, leucine etc.
In the same vain, candidates were to list the deficiency diseases of vitamin B, Vitamin C, calcium and Iron in question 6 (c); here they displayed their lack of knowledge by stating symptoms of these deficiencies. For example, the deficiency disease of vitamin B include beriberi and pellagra while candidates listed symptoms such as sore tonge, cracked lips etc.