Nutrition, Digestion, Microbiology, and Food Science Review

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering nutritional diseases, eating disorders, gastrointestinal anatomy and physiology, food microbiology, sensory evaluation, food processing compounds, and regulatory food additive terms from Lectures 10 through 17.

Visceral Fat

Fat that wraps around internal organs; it is more dangerous than subcutaneous fat and is strongly linked to metabolic disease, insulin resistance, and increased risk of death, even for people with a normal BMI.

Subcutaneous Fat

Fat that lies just under the skin around the belly, thighs, and rear.

Adipocytes

Fat cells that store extra energy in the body and actively participate in immune responses; in obesity, they can become dysfunctional and release pro-inflammatory substances.

HDL (High Density Lipoproteins)

Referred to as the 'good' cholesterol; connected to a decreased risk of heart disease.

LDL (Low Density Lipoproteins)

Referred to as the 'bad' cholesterol; connected to an increased risk of heart disease.

Superfood

A term referring to foods with perceived health benefits (such as blueberries, broccoli, raspberries, and green tea) claiming to prevent or cure diseases like cancer; primarily a marketing tactic that lacks a scientific basis.

Adequacy

A key principle of healthy eating ensuring that the diet provides all the essential nutrients, fiber, and energy.

Balance

A key principle of healthy eating ensuring that the diet provides the correct proportion of nutrients.

Variety

A key principle of healthy eating where the diet contains a mixture of different food groups and foods within each group.

Moderation

A key principle of healthy eating ensuring the diet provides reasonable but not excessive amounts of foods and nutrients by being aware of portion size and number of servings.

Malnutrition

A nutritional state resulting from consuming either too much (overnutrition) or too little (undernutrition) of one or more nutrients or energy.

Kwashiorkor

A condition of protein-energy malnutrition in children caused by severe protein deficiency, usually occurring after weaning, and characterized by edema (swelling) due to low blood proteins.

Marasmus

A condition of protein-energy malnutrition affecting infants and young children characterized by severe wasting, very low body weight, and a deficiency where overall energy deficiency predominates alongside protein deficiency.

Orthorexia

A condition that includes symptoms of obsessive behavior in pursuit of a healthy diet.

Anorexia Nervosa

An eating disorder characterized by severe restriction of food intake, calorie restriction, avoidance of certain foods, extreme weight loss, and an intense fear of gaining weight.

Bulimia Nervosa

An eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating unusually large amounts of food followed by compensatory behaviors, accompanied by concern about body weight or shape while body weight often remains normal or near normal.

Digestion

The process by which food and drink are broken down into their smallest parts so that the body can use them to build and nourish cells and to provide energy.

Peristalsis

The typical movement of the esophagus, stomach, and intestine that propels digestive contents through the digestive tract.

Chyme

The mixture of food, liquid, and digestive juice produced by the muscular churning action of the lower part of the stomach.

Duodenum

The first segment of the small intestine where chyme enters and is exposed to digestive secretions including bile salts, enzymes, and bicarbonate.

Jejunum

The second or middle segment of the small intestine through which chyme transits.

Ileum

The final section of the small intestine leading to the large intestine; it mainly absorbs water, bile salts, and vitamin B12.

Cecum

The pouch-shaped first portion of the large intestine (colon) that acts as the area of storage for contents arriving from the ileum.

Metabolism

The chemical reactions that break down molecules to provide energy and those that synthesize larger molecules.

Cellular Respiration

The process occurring inside mitochondria where glucose, fatty acids, and amino acids are broken down in the presence of oxygen to produce $CO_2$, water, and energy used to make ATP.

Lactic Acid Bacteria

Beneficial bacteria that convert sugars into lactic acid and other products, driving fermentation in foods such as kimchi, pickles, and sourdough.

Mycotoxins

Toxic secondary metabolites produced by some molds that represent a significant food-safety concern rather than ordinary visible spoilage.

Aflatoxin

A specific type of mycotoxin associated with contaminated peanuts, corn, and tree nuts.

Food Infection

A foodborne illness that occurs when living microorganisms are consumed and cause infection within the body.

Food Intoxication

A foodborne illness that occurs when a toxin already present in the food is consumed.

Toxin-Mediated Infection

A foodborne illness that occurs when a living organism is consumed and subsequently produces a toxin inside the intestine.

The Danger Zone

The temperature range between $40^\circ\text{F}$ and $140^\circ\text{F}$ that allows rapid bacterial growth; foods should be held below $40^\circ\text{F}$ or above $140^\circ\text{F}$.

FATTOM

An acronym representing the conditions that promote bacterial growth: Food (nutrients), Acidity (low-acid preferred), Time, Temperature, Oxygen, and Moisture (available water).

Flavor

A quality of food involving sensory characteristics such as appearance, taste, odor, feel, and sound.

Taste Transduction

The biological process in which a chemical in food is converted into an electrical signal that the nervous system can understand.

Trigeminal Nerve

The nerve responsible for sensations such as the cooling feeling from menthol or mint and the heat sensation from cinnamon or clove, rather than true taste.

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

A sweetener typically consisting of $55\%$ fructose and $45\%$ glucose; its fructose component travels via the portal vein to the liver where it is readily metabolized.

Sugar Alcohols

Sugar substitutes that are not high-intensity sweeteners, primarily used to sweeten sugar-free candies, cookies, and chewing gums.

Partial Hydrogenation

An industrial process that adds hydrogen to unsaturated vegetable oils to make them more solid and shelf-stable, which inadvertently produces harmful trans fatty acids.

Cis Fat

An unsaturated fat structure in which hydrogen atoms are situated on the same side of the double bond, creating a bent shape that makes the oil more fluid.

Trans Fat

An unsaturated fat structure in which hydrogen atoms are situated on opposite sides of the double bond, resulting in a straighter shape that packs more tightly; they raise LDL cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol.

Food Allergy

An immune system reaction triggered when a food protein is absorbed without being completely digested.

Food Intolerance

A digestive system reaction or food sensitivity (such as a reaction to MSG) that does not involve the immune system.

Celiac Disease

An autoimmune disease triggered by gluten (found in wheat, barley, and rye) that damages small-intestinal villi, causing malabsorption and nutrient deficiencies.

Indirect Food Additives

Substances that enter food unintentionally during processing or packaging, such as lubricating oil from food processing machinery.

GRAS

An acronym standing for 'Generally Regarded As Safe,' designating food substances recognized as safe unless new scientific evidence leads the FDA to remove them.

Delaney Clause

A provision of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act stating that any substance that induces cancer in animal species or humans at any dosage may not be added to foods.