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Chatper 11 Food and Digestion
Vocab Terms
17
Science
Not Applicable
02/12/2006

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Term
nutrient
Definition
a substance found in food that provides energy, or a raw material that the body needs in order to carry out its life processes
Term
nutrition
Definition
the process by which a living organism assimilates food and uses it for growth, liberation of energy, and replacement of tissues
Term
carbohydrates
Definition
energy-rish organic compounds such as sugar or starch that are made of the elements carbon, hudrogen, and oxygen; provides raw materials to make parts of cells
Term
protein
Definition
a large organic molecule made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sometimes sulfur that is used for tissue growth and repair; plays an important role in the chemical reactions of cells
Term
lipids
Definition
"Any of a group of organic compounds, including the fats, oils, waxes, sterols, and triglycerides, that are insoluble in water but soluble in nonpolar organic solvents, are oily to the touch, and together with carbohydrates and proteins constitute the principal structural material of living cells." -dictionary.com
Term
minerals
Definition
nutrients that are not made by living things; present in soil and absorbed by plants through their roots
Term
vitamins
Definition
act as helper molecules in a variety of chemical reactons within the body
Term
digestion
Definition
the process by which your body breaks down food into small nutrient molecules
Term
mechanical digestion
Definition
involves food being physically broken down into smaller pieces (teeth)
Term
chemical digestion
Definition
the process by which food is broken down by chemicals (saliva)
Term
enzymes
Definition
proteins that speed up chemical reactions in your body, such as the chemical found in saliva that breaks down starch
Term
saliva
Definition
the fluid released when your mouth waters; performs major jobs in both mechanical and chemical digestion in your mouth
Term
peristalsis
Definition
waves of muscular contractions that occur in your esophagus, stomach, and other parts of the digestive system; they keep food moving at all times
Term
amylase
Definition
"any of a group of proteins found in saliva and pancreatic juice and parts of plants; help convert starch to sugar" -dictionary.com
Term
pepsin
Definition
found in the digestive juices of your stomach; chemically digests the food in your stomach, breaking it down using acids
Term
villi
Definition
tiny finger-shaped structures that cover the surfaces inside your small intestine, absorb nutrient molecules
Term
absorption
Definition
the process by which nutrient molecules pass through the wall of your digestive system into your blood
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