Nutrition Study Guide — Chapters 1–4 Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, definitions, intake standards, body systems, and macronutrients from Chapters 1 through 4 of the Nutrition Study Guide.

Malnutrition

A condition caused by an imbalance, deficiency, or excess of nutrients/energy.

Undernutrition

A form of malnutrition resulting from inadequate consumption of calories or nutrients.

Overnutrition

A form of malnutrition resulting from excessive intake of calories or nutrients.

Nutrient Deficiencies

Inadequate intake of essential vitamins or minerals.

Whole Foods

Foods that are minimally processed and remain close to their natural state, such as apples, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds.

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)

Nutrient reference values used to plan and evaluate diets.

Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)

The nutrient intake amount that meets the needs of approximately $50\%$ of healthy people in a group.

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)

The nutrient intake amount sufficient to meet the needs of approximately $97\text{--}98\%$ of healthy people, serving as the most commonly used individual nutrient recommendation.

Adequate Intake (AI)

A nutrient reference value used when there is insufficient scientific evidence to establish an RDA.

Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL)

The highest average daily nutrient intake level unlikely to cause harm. It is not a recommended consumption amount.

Estimated Energy Requirement (EER)

The amount of energy needed to maintain energy balance.

Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR)

Specified ranges of macronutrient intakes as percentages of total daily calories: Carbohydrate ($45\text{--}65\%$), Protein ($10\text{--}35\%$), and Fat ($20\text{--}35\%$).

USDA MyPlate

A dietary guidance tool that divides a plate into five food groups: Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Dairy, and Protein foods.

Cell

The smallest living unit of the body.

Tissue

Groups of similar cells working together to perform a specific function.

Organ

Two or more tissue types working together to perform specific functions.

Organ System

Multiple organs working together to perform complex physiological processes.

Ingestion

The process of taking food into the digestive tract.

Digestion

The process of breaking down food into smaller absorbable components.

Absorption

The process by which nutrients enter the blood or lymph from the digestive tract.

Elimination

The removal of waste products from the digestive tract.

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)

The major usable energy source required for cellular work.

Water-Soluble Vitamins

Vitamins (B vitamins and Vitamin C) that generally have limited storage in the body and whose excess is commonly excreted in urine.

Fat-Soluble Vitamins

Vitamins (A, D, E, and K) stored in body fat and the liver, which can accumulate and cause toxicity if consumed in excess.

Hypothalamus

A brain structure that helps regulate hunger, satiety, body temperature, thirst, hormones, and energy balance.

Kidneys

Organs that filter blood, remove metabolic wastes, produce urine, and regulate fluid balance, electrolytes, acid-base balance, blood pressure, and blood/bone health hormones.

Hepatic Portal Circulation

The vascular pathway that transports absorbed nutrients directly from the digestive tract to the liver via the hepatic portal vein.

Saliva

A fluid that moistens food, aids bolus formation, facilitates swallowing, begins carbohydrate digestion via salivary amylase, and protects the mouth.

Alcohol Metabolism Pathway

The liver breakdown sequence of alcohol: $\text{Ethanol} \rightarrow \text{Acetaldehyde} \rightarrow \text{Acetate} \rightarrow \text{CO}_2 + \text{H}_2\text{O}$.

Simple Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates consisting of monosaccharides and disaccharides, including glucose, fructose, galactose, sucrose, and lactose.

Complex Carbohydrates

Long-chain carbohydrates including starch, glycogen, and fibre.

Lactose Intolerance

A condition resulting from insufficient production of the lactase enzyme, leading to digestive symptoms like bloating, gas, cramps, diarrhoea, and nausea after dairy intake.

Ketone Bodies

Compounds produced during increased fat breakdown when carbohydrate availability is low.

Ketosis

A physiological state caused by the excessive production of ketone bodies.

Insulin

A pancreatic hormone that lowers blood glucose levels after meals and promotes glycogen formation, fat storage, and protein synthesis.

Glycogen

The storage form of glucose in animals, stored in the liver to maintain blood glucose and in skeletal muscles to fuel activity.

Fibre

A carbohydrate that human digestive enzymes cannot fully digest, which promotes regularity, gut health, blood glucose control, lower cholesterol, and satiety.

Sugar-Sweetened Beverages

Major sources of added sugars in the U.S. diet, including soft drinks, fruit drinks, energy drinks, and other sweetened beverages.