Nutrition and Digestion - Middle School

If you have a deficiency of information about nutrition and digestion, review these terms and fortify your knowledge! You'll learn about the digestive system, metabolism, and a variety of nutrients, including vitamins and minerals. This list will provide plenty of food for thought.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. absorption
    taking nutrients into the body after digestion
  2. alimentary canal
    tubular passage of mucous membrane and muscle extending about 8.3 meters from mouth to anus; functions in digestion and elimination
  3. amino acid
    organic compounds containing an amino group and acid group
  4. amylase
    any of a group of proteins found in saliva and pancreatic juice and parts of plants; help convert starch to sugar
  5. anemia
    a deficiency of red blood cells
  6. ascorbic acid
    a vitamin found in fresh fruits and vegetables
  7. assimilation
    the process of absorbing nutrients into the body
  8. autotroph
    an organism capable of synthesizing its own food
  9. bacteria
    single-celled organisms that can cause disease
  10. basal metabolic rate
    the rate at which heat is produced by an individual in a resting state
  11. beriberi
    avitaminosis caused by lack of thiamine (vitamin B1)
  12. bile
    a digestive juice secreted by the liver
  13. body mass index
    a measure of someone's weight in relation to height
  14. calcium
    a white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light
  15. calorie
    unit of heat raising 1 gram of water by 1 degree centigrade
  16. carbohydrate
    an essential component of living cells and source of energy
  17. celiac disease
    an inability to tolerate wheat protein (gluten)
  18. cellulose
    a polysaccharide that is the chief constituent of all plant tissues and fibers
  19. cholesterol
    a substance in the blood that can cause heart disease
  20. chyme
    a semiliquid mass of partially digested food that passes from the stomach through the pyloric sphincter into the duodenum
  21. colon
    the part of the large intestine between the cecum and rectum
  22. deficiency
    the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable
  23. diabetes
    a disease characterized by high glucose levels in the blood
  24. diet
    the usual food and drink consumed by an organism
  25. digestion
    the process by which the body breaks down food
  26. digestive system
    the system that makes food absorbable into the body
  27. duodenum
    the part of the small intestine between the stomach and the jejunum
  28. eating disorder
    a disorder of the normal eating routine
  29. energy
    any source of usable power
  30. enzyme
    a complex protein produced by cells that acts as a catalyst
  31. fat
    a kind of body tissue that serves as a source of energy
  32. fat-soluble
    soluble in fats
  33. fatty acid
    any of a class of aliphatic monocarboxylic acids that form part of a lipid molecule and can be derived from fat by hydrolysis; fatty acids are simple molecules built around a series of carbon atoms linked together in a chain of 12 to 22 carbon atoms
  34. fiber
    coarse, indigestible plant food low in nutrients
  35. folic acid
    a B vitamin that is essential for cell growth and reproduction
  36. fortify
    add nutrients to
  37. fructose
    a simple sugar found in honey and in many ripe fruits
  38. gall bladder
    a muscular sac attached to the liver that stores bile (secreted by the liver) until it is needed for digestion
  39. gastric juice
    digestive secretions of the stomach glands consisting chiefly of hydrochloric acid and mucin and the enzymes pepsin and rennin and lipase
  40. glucose
    a monosaccharide sugar that has several forms
  41. goiter
    enlarged thyroid gland, often from iodine deficiency
  42. HDL cholesterol
    the cholesterol in high-density lipoproteins
  43. heterotroph
    an organism that cannot make its own food supply
  44. ileum
    the part of the small intestine between the jejunum and the cecum
  45. insulin
    a glucose-regulating hormone produced in the pancreas
  46. iodine
    a nonmetallic element belonging to the halogens
  47. iron
    a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element
  48. lactose
    a sugar that occurs only in milk
  49. large intestine
    beginning with the cecum and ending with the rectum
  50. LDL cholesterol
    the cholesterol in low-density lipoproteins
  51. lipid
    oily, insoluble organic compound that's a component of cells
  52. liver
    large and complicated reddish-brown glandular organ located in the upper right portion of the abdominal cavity; secretes bile and functions in metabolism of protein and carbohydrate and fat; synthesizes substances involved in the clotting of the blood; synthesizes vitamin A; detoxifies poisonous substances and breaks down worn-out erythrocytes
  53. malnutrition
    a state of poor nourishment
  54. metabolism
    the organic processes that are necessary for life
  55. micronutrient
    a substance needed only in small amounts for normal body function (e.g., vitamins or minerals)
  56. mineral
    a solid inorganic substance occurring in nature
  57. mucus
    protective secretion of membranes lining internal organs
  58. multivitamin
    a pill or tablet containing several vitamins
  59. niacin
    a B vitamin essential for the normal function of the nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract
  60. nutrient
    any substance that can be metabolized to give energy
  61. nutrition
    the organic process of nourishing or being nourished
  62. obesity
    the condition of being excessively overweight
  63. pancreas
    a large gland that secretes insulin and digestive enzymes
  64. peristalsis
    wavelike muscle contractions of the alimentary tract
  65. pharynx
    the passage to the stomach and lungs
  66. phytochemical
    a chemical substance obtained from plants that is biologically active but not nutritive
  67. potassium
    a light soft silver-white metallic element of the alkali metal group; oxidizes rapidly in air and reacts violently with water; is abundant in nature in combined forms occurring in sea water and in carnallite and kainite and sylvite
  68. protein
    an organic compound essential to living cells
  69. riboflavin
    a B vitamin that prevents skin lesions and weight loss
  70. saliva
    a clear liquid secreted by glands in the mouth
  71. salivary gland
    any of three pairs of glands in the mouth and digestive system that secrete saliva for digestion
  72. scurvy
    a condition caused by deficiency of ascorbic acid
  73. small intestine
    the longest part of the alimentary canal
  74. sodium
    a silvery soft waxy metallic element of the alkali metal group; occurs abundantly in natural compounds (especially in salt water); burns with a yellow flame and reacts violently in water; occurs in sea water and in the mineral halite (rock salt)
  75. soluble
    capable of being dissolved in some solvent
  76. starch
    a complex carbohydrate in seeds, fruits, and pith of plants
  77. stomach
    enlarged and muscular saclike organ of the alimentary canal
  78. sucrose
    a complex carbohydrate found in many plants and used as a sweetening agent
  79. supplement
    an additional component that improves capability
  80. thiamine
    a B vitamin that prevents beriberi
  81. trace element
    an element that occurs at very small quantities in the body but is nonetheless important for many biological processes
  82. trans fatty acid
    a fatty acid that has been produced by hydrogenating an unsaturated fatty acid (and so changing its shape); found in processed foods such as margarine and fried foods and puddings and commercially baked goods and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils
  83. villus
    a minute hairlike projection on mucous membrane
  84. vitamin
    an organic substance essential to normal metabolism
  85. vitamin A
    any of several fat-soluble vitamins essential for normal vision; prevents night blindness or inflammation or dryness of the eyes
  86. vitamin B
    originally thought to be a single vitamin but now separated into several B vitamins
  87. vitamin C
    a vitamin found in fresh fruits and vegetables
  88. vitamin D
    a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets
  89. vitamin E
    a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for normal reproduction; an important antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals in the body
  90. vitamin K
    a fat-soluble vitamin that helps in the clotting of blood
  91. water-soluble
    soluble in water
Created on Wed Feb 08 17:29:39 EST 2017 (updated Wed Apr 05 12:11:41 EDT 2017)

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