Week 5: Water, Minerals, and Alcohol – Vocabulary Flashcards

Eighty vocabulary flashcards covering key water, mineral, and alcohol concepts from Week 5 lecture notes.

Solvent

A substance (water in the body) that dissolves solutes, enabling transport and chemical reactions.

Water balance

Equilibrium between water intake and water loss that keeps total body water constant.

Dehydration

A state in which water loss exceeds intake, causing thirst, dry skin, dizziness, and potentially coma or death.

Diuretics

Substances (e.g., caffeine, alcohol, medications) that increase urinary water excretion.

Electrolytes

Charged minerals such as Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and Cl⁻ that govern fluid balance and nerve and muscle function.

Ions

Atoms or molecules carrying a net electric charge due to loss or gain of electrons.

Hyponatremia

Dangerously low blood sodium caused by excess water relative to sodium, leading to cell swelling, headache, seizures.

Antidiuretic hormone (ADH)

Hormone from posterior pituitary that signals kidneys to conserve water and raise blood volume.

Thirst mechanism

Hypothalamic sensation prompting fluid intake when blood concentration rises.

Hard water

Water high in calcium and magnesium that leaves mineral deposits and can supply dietary Ca and Mg.

Soft water

Water low in minerals, often high in sodium due to softening; easier on pipes but adds Na to diet.

Tap water regulations

EPA rules require disinfection, E. coli ban, frequent microbial and chemical testing of municipal water.

Bottled water regulations

FDA food rules; no mandatory disinfection and less frequent testing than tap water.

Major mineral

Essential mineral needed in amounts >100 mg/day (e.g., Ca, P, K, S, Na, Cl, Mg).

Trace mineral

Essential mineral needed in amounts <100 mg/day (e.g., Fe, Zn, I, Se, Cu).

Fluid and electrolyte balance

Maintenance of proper fluid volumes and ion concentrations inside and outside cells.

Acid-base balance

Control of body fluid pH (7.35–7.45) via buffers, lungs, and kidneys.

Osteoporosis

Bone disease of low mass and structural deterioration that raises fracture risk.

Bone density

Mineral content per volume of bone, measured by DEXA to indicate strength.

Peak bone mass

Highest bone density achieved (late teens–20s); higher peaks lower later osteoporosis risk.

Calcium paradox

Observation that nations with highest Ca intake (e.g., U.S.) have highest osteoporosis rates, likely due to lifestyle differences.

Ferritin

Iron-storage protein in intestinal cells and liver that releases Fe when needed.

Transferrin

Blood transport protein that delivers iron to tissues.

Hemoglobin

Iron-containing protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to tissues and CO₂ to lungs.

Anemia

Condition of low red cells or hemoglobin causing fatigue, weakness, pallor.

Goiter

Enlarged thyroid gland from iodine deficiency or excess.

Cretinism

Severe, irreversible intellectual and growth disability in infants from maternal iodine deficiency.

Phytate

Phytic acid in grains/legumes that binds minerals and reduces absorption.

Oxalic acid

Compound in spinach, rhubarb that binds calcium and lowers its bioavailability.

Polyphenols

Tea, coffee, wine antioxidants that can inhibit absorption of iron and other minerals.

Bioavailability

Proportion of a nutrient that is absorbed and usable by the body.

Gastric acidity

Stomach HCl that keeps minerals in reduced, more absorbable forms.

Meat factor protein (MPF)

Component in meat that enhances non-heme iron absorption.

Heme iron

Highly bioavailable iron from animal hemoglobin/myoglobin.

Non-heme iron

Iron in plant foods and eggs; absorption affected by enhancers and inhibitors.

Calcium

Major mineral in bones/teeth; also needed for muscle contraction, nerve signaling, blood clotting.

Magnesium

Major mineral in chlorophyll, bones, >300 enzymes; supports energy metabolism and muscle relaxation.

Iron

Trace mineral for hemoglobin, myoglobin, energy enzymes; deficiency causes anemia.

Zinc

Trace mineral cofactor for >300 enzymes; supports immunity, gene expression, growth.

Iodine

Trace mineral needed for thyroid hormones T₄ and T₃; deficiency causes goiter and cretinism.

Fluoride

Non-essential mineral that promotes enamel remineralization; excess causes fluorosis.

Potassium

Principal intracellular cation that maintains fluid volume, blunts sodium effects, lowers blood pressure.

Sodium

Principal extracellular cation; regulates fluid balance, nerve impulses, and muscle contraction.

Selenium

Trace mineral in antioxidant enzymes (glutathione peroxidase) and thyroid hormone activation.

Chloride

Major extracellular anion; part of NaCl, stomach HCl, and acid-base regulation.

Phosphorus

Major mineral in bones/teeth, ATP, DNA/RNA, and acid-base balance.

Sulfur

Component of methionine, cysteine, thiamin, biotin; no known dietary deficiency.

Osteoblasts

Bone-building cells stimulated by weight-bearing exercise and estrogen.

Osteoclasts

Cells that dissolve bone, releasing calcium into blood.

Osteocytes

Mature bone cells that exchange calcium with blood.

Hypokalemia

Dangerously low blood potassium causing weakness, arrhythmia; often from fluid loss or diuretics.

Hemochromatosis

Genetic iron-overload disorder causing excessive absorption and organ damage.

Water input

Fluids, water in foods, and metabolic water produced during nutrient oxidation.

Water output

Loss via urine, sweat, feces, and exhaled air.

Insensible loss

Water loss not easily measured—skin evaporation, respiration, feces.

Sensible loss

Measurable water loss such as urine.

MEOS pathway

Microsomal ethanol-oxidizing system in liver that metabolizes high alcohol intakes and develops tolerance.

Alcohol dehydrogenase

Primary enzyme that converts ethanol to acetaldehyde in liver and stomach.

Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)

Percentage of alcohol in bloodstream; 0.08 % is legal intoxication in many areas.

Moderate drinking

Up to 1 drink/day for women and 2 for men, posing low risk.

Binge drinking

4 (women) or 5 (men) drinks in ~2 h, producing BAC ≥0.08 %.

Fragmentary blackout

“Swiss-cheese” memory gaps after drinking; some recall remains.

En bloc blackout

Total memory loss for a drinking period; no later recall possible.

Alcohol poisoning

Potentially fatal overdose marked by unconsciousness, slow breathing, hypothermia, seizures.

Medical amnesty

Law shielding those who seek emergency help for alcohol/drug overdose from prosecution.

Fibrosis

Early alcoholic liver damage where functioning cells are replaced by fibrous tissue.

Cirrhosis

Irreversible liver scarring that impairs function, often from chronic alcoholism.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Birth defects and intellectual disability from prenatal alcohol exposure.

Protective factors (alcohol)

Behaviors like eating before drinking, pacing drinks, alternating with water, using trusted friends, planning transport.

Tolerance (alcohol)

Need for higher doses to achieve effects due to brain adaptation and lower dopamine response.

Point of No Return (0.06 % BAC)

Level where impairment increases sharply and dopamine crash begins.

Least-harm BAC (0.055 %)

Approximate peak that avoids major negative effects while still producing mild euphoria.

Vasodilation

Widening of blood vessels; alcohol-induced dilation makes skin feel warm but increases heat loss.

REM sleep suppression

Alcohol’s inhibition of rapid-eye-movement sleep, reducing quality rest and memory consolidation.

Water temperature regulation

Water’s high heat capacity allows sweating and evaporation to cool the body.

Shock absorber (water)

Water cushions organs, eyes, spinal cord, and fetus against impact.

Water lubricant

Fluid in joints and mucous membranes that reduces friction.

Kidneys’ role in water regulation

Filter blood, adjust urine volume under ADH control to maintain fluid balance.

Sweat

Evaporative cooling mechanism that releases water and electrolytes through skin glands.

Water as reaction medium

Acts as solvent where metabolic reactions occur inside cells.

Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sulfur, Sodium, Chloride, and Magnesium

Major Minerals

Iron, Zinc, Iodine, Selenium, Copper

Trace minerals

The body converts macronutrients to ATP

How does the body use energy?