Human nutrition Definitions

Question 1

Balanced diet

Answer 1

a diet that contains all the nutrients in the correct amounts

Question 2

Ingestion

Answer 2

the taking in of substances(eg. food and drink) into the body

Question 3

Digestion

Answer 3

the breakdown of food

Question 4

Absorption

Answer 4

the movement of digested food molecules from the intestines into the blood

Question 5

Assimilation

Answer 5

the movement of digested food molecules into the cells of the body where they are used, becoming part of the cells

Question 6

Egestion

Answer 6

the passing out of undigested and unabsorbed food as faeces from the anus

Question 7

Physical digestion

Answer 7

the breakdown of food into smaller pieces without chemical change to the food molecules

Question 8

Chemical digestion

Answer 8

the breakdown of large insoluble molecules into small soluble molecules

Question 9

Peristalsis

Answer 9

the contraction of the circular muscle behind the bolus of food and the relaxation of the longitudinal muscle in front, forcing food down the gut