Term | Definition |
Autotroph | an organism that is able to form nutritional organic substances from simple inorganic substances |
Heterotroph | an organism that is able to form nutritional organic substances from simple inorganic substances |
Chemoautotroph | an organism that derives energy from the oxidation of inorganic compounds |
Photoautotroph | any organism that derives its energy for food synthesis from light |
Calories | a unit of energy |
Energy | the strength and vitality required for sustained physical or mental activity |
Ingestion | the act of taking in food |
Digestion | the act of breaking down food |
Egestion | the act of letting out the waste food |
Roughage | coarse food high in fiber but low in nutrients |
Cellulose | a complex carbohydrate that forms the main part of the cell wall in most plants and is important in the making of numerous products |
Body Mass Index | is a person's weight in kilograms (kg) divided by his or her height in meters squared |
Absorption | the act of taking up or in by specific chemical or molecular action; especially the passage of liquids or other substances through a surface of the body into body fluids and tissues |
Diffusion | the state or process of being widely spread |
Villi | any of the numerous finger-like projections of the mucous membrane lining the small intestine of many vertebrates |
Constipation | Difficult, incomplete, or infrequent evacuation of dry hardened feces from the bowels |
Enzyme | Any of numerous compounds that are produced by living organisms and function as biochemical catalysts |
Macromolecules | A very large molecule, such as a polymer or protein, consisting of many smaller structural units linked together |
Bulimia | An eating disorder characterized by episodic binge eating followed by feelings of shame, depression, and self-condemnation |
Anorexia | Loss of appetite |