Nutrition Vocabulary NUR 101

2011 Prof. A. Fitzgibbon

Nutritive value: the nutrient content of a specified amount of food Ingestion: the act of taking in food or medication Mastication: to chew food Digestion: the conversion of food into absorbable substances in the GI tract; digestion is accomplished through the mechanical and chemical breakdown of food into smaller and smaller molecules, with the help of glands located both inside and outside the gut Absorption: the passage of the end products of digestion from the gastrointestinal tract into the blood and lymphatic vessels and the cells of tissues. Absorption of this kind can take place either by diffusion or by active transport Metabolism: the sum of all physical and chemical processes by which a living substance is formed and maintained and by which energy is made available for use by the organism Basal metabolic rate (BMR): the rate of energy utilization in the body required to maintain essential activities such as breathing; the number of calories youd burn over 24 hours while lying down but not sleeping Actual metabolic Rate: estimated by adding the caloric cost of all the activities you engage in throughout the day to your BMR Anabolism: a process in which simple substances are converted by the bodys cells into more complex substances (e.g. building tissue, positive nitrogen balance) Catabolism: a process in which complex substances are broken down into simpler substances (e.g. breakdown of tissue) Caloric Value: the amount of energy that nutrients or foods supply to the body Calorie: a unit of heat energy equivalent to the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1kg of water 1C Food Pyramid: a diagrammatic proportional representation of human nutritional needs updated in 2005 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to replace the previous food pyramid created in 1992; the "My Pyramid" icon has 6 panels representing grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, meat and beans and fats, sugars, and salts; according to My Pyramid, the majority of servings should come from grains, followed closely by milk, then by vegetables and fruits; meat and beans should be lean and varied; fats, sugars, and salt should be consumed sparingly

Active transport: movement of substances across cell membranes against the concentration gradient Electrolyte: a chemical substance that, when dissolved in water or melted, dissociates into electrically charged particles (ions) and thus is capable of conducting an electric current; the principal positively charged ions in the body fluids (cations) are sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), calcium (Ca2+), and magnesium (Mg2+); the most important negatively charged ions (anions) are chloride (Cl), bicarbonate (HCO3) and phosphate(PO43) Ion: an atom or group of atoms that has acquired an electrical charge through the gain or loss of an electron or electrons Cation: a positively charged ion Anion: a negatively charged ion Diffusion: the mixing of molecules or ions of two or more substances as a result of random motion Osmosis: passage of a solvent through a semipermeable membrane from an area of lesser solute concentration to one of greater solute concentration Hydrostatic Pressure: the pressure a liquid exerts on the side of the container that holds it; also called filtration force