Nutrition

Front 1

acid-base balance

Back 1

the balance maintained between acid and base concentrations in the blood and body fluids.

Front 2

acidosis

Back 2

too much acid in the blood and body fluids.

Front 3

acids

Back 3

compounds that release hydrogen ions in a solution.

Front 4

acute malnutrition

Back 4

protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) that develops rapidly due to a sudden and dramatic demand for nutrients. The person suffering from acute malnutrition may be of normal weight or may be overweight, but serum protein levels are low. In contrast, chronic malnutrition develops as a consequence of insufficient intake of energy and protein over long periods of time and is characterized by underweight, depleted fat stores, and normal serum protein levels.

Front 5

alkalosis

Back 5

too much base in the blood and body fluids.

Front 6

amino acids

Back 6

building blocks of protein. Each has an amino group and an acid group attached to a central carbon, which also carries a distinctive side chain.

Front 7

antibodies

Back 7

large proteins of the blood and body fluids, produced in response to invasion of the body by unfamiliar molecules (mostly proteins) called antigens. Antibodies inactivate the invaders and so protect the body.

Front 8

bases

Back 8

compounds that accept hydrogen ions in a solution.

Front 9

buffers

Back 9

compounds that can reversibly combine with hydrogen ions to help keep a solution’s acidity or alkalinity constant.

Front 10

carbohydrates

Back 10

energy nutrients composed of monosaccharides.

Front 11

complementary proteins

Back 11

two or more proteins whose amino acid assortments complement each other in such a way that the essential amino acids missing from one are supplied by the other.

Front 12

complete protein

Back 12

a protein containing all the amino acids essential in human nutrition in amounts adequate for human use.

Front 13

conditionally essential amino acid

Back 13

an amino acid that is normally nonessential but must be supplied by the diet in special circumstances when the need for it becomes greater than the body’s ability to produce it.

Front 14

denaturation

Back 14

the change in a protein’s shape brought about by heat, acid, or other agents. Past a certain point, denaturation is irreversible.

Front 15

dipeptide

Back 15

two amino acids bonded together.

Front 16

dysentery

Back 16

an infection of the gastrointestinal tract caused by an amoeba or bacterium that gives rise to severe diarrhea.

Front 17

edema

Back 17

the swelling of body tissue caused by leakage of fluid from the blood vessels and accumulation of the fluid in the interstitial spaces.

Front 18

enzymes

Back 18

protein catalysts. A catalyst is a compound that facilitates chemical reactions without itself being changed in the process.

Front 19

fatty liver

Back 19

an accumulation of triglycerides in the liver resulting from many disorders, including exposure to excessive alcohol, excessive weight gain, and diabetes mellitus; also called hepatic steatosis, steatohepatitis, and fatty infiltration of the liver.

Front 20

fluid and electrolyte balance

Back 20

maintenance of the necessary amounts and types of fluid and minerals in each compartment of the body fluids.

Front 21

hemoglobin

Back 21

the oxygen-carrying protein of the red blood cells.

Front 22

hormones

Back 22

chemical messengers. Hormones are secreted by a variety of glands in the body in response to altered conditions. Each travels to one or more target tissues or organs and elicits specific responses to restore normal conditions.

Front 23

incomplete protein

Back 23

a protein lacking or low in one or more of the essential amino acids.

Front 24

kwashiorkor

Back 24

a disease related to protein-energy malnutrition (PEM).

Front 25

lacto-ovo vegetarians

Back 25

people who include milk or milk products and eggs, but omit meat, fish, shellfish, and poultry from their diets.

Front 26

lacto-vegetarians

Back 26

people who include milk or milk products, but exclude meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, and eggs from their diets.

Front 27

marasmus

Back 27

a disease related to PEM. Marasmus results from severe deprivation, or impaired absorption, of protein, energy, vitamins, and minerals.

Front 28

mutual supplementation

Back 28

the strategy of combining two incomplete protein sources so that the amino acids in one food make up for those lacking in the other food. Such protein combinations are sometimes called complementary proteins.

Front 29

pH

Back 29

the concentration of hydrogen ions. The lower the pH, the stronger the acid. Thus pH 2 is a strong acid; pH 6 is a weak acid; pH 7 is neutral; and a pH above 7 is alkaline.

Front 30

polypeptide

Back 30

ten or more amino acids bonded together. An intermediate strand of between four and ten amino acids is an oligopeptide.

Front 31

protein-energy malnutrition (PEM)

Back 31

a deficiency of protein and food energy; the world’s most widespread malnutrition problem, including both marasmus and kwashiorkor.

Front 32

proteins

Back 32

compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen atoms arranged into strands of amino acids. Some amino acids also contain sulfur atoms.

Front 33

semivegetarians

Back 33

people who include some, but not all, groups of animal-derived foods in their diets; they usually exclude meat and may occasionally include poultry, fish, and shellfish; also called partial vegetarians.

Front 34

tripeptide

Back 34

three amino acids bonded together.

Front 35

vegans

Back 35

people who exclude all animal-derived foods (including meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, cheese, and milk) from their diets; also called strict vegetarians or total vegetarians.