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P O R TA G E L E A R N I N G · C O L L E G E O F H E A LT H S C I E N C E S
BIOD 121 (Portage) Nutrition
Final Exam Practice Questions
Foundational Nutrition Concepts & Digestion
FINAL EXAM REVIEW:
Nutrient Classes, GI Tract & Energy Balance
— Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome & Malnutrition
Edition 1 · July 2026
EXAM FOCUSED DETAILED FOUNDATIONS BUILD CONFIDENCE
RATIONALES
Aligned with Portage BIOD Nutrients, digestion & Pass your BIOD 121 Final
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,BIOD 121 (PORTAGE) · FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS 1–30
Section 1: Nutrition Fundamentals, Digestion & GI Disorders
1 Why we eat is influenced by:
A Sensory, cognitive, environmental, and health status factors
B Only hunger and appetite signals
C Exclusively environmental cues
D Genetic factors alone
CORRECT ANSWER: A
RATIONALE: Eating behavior is multifactorial — sensory (taste, smell,
texture), cognitive (beliefs, habits, emotional state), environmental
(availability, social setting, time of day), and health status (illness,
medication effects) all influence food choices and intake. Understanding
these drivers is essential for effective nutrition counseling.
2 Hunger is best defined as:
A An internal drive often experienced as a negative sensation such as
churning, growling, or pain in the stomach
B An external drive related to pleasant food sensations
C A learned behavior developed during childhood
D A psychological desire without physical manifestations
CORRECT ANSWER: A
RATIONALE: Hunger is a physiological drive — the body signals need for
food through stomach sensations (growling, emptiness, discomfort).
Appetite is the external/psychological drive related to food enjoyment that
can lead to eating without hunger. Distinguishing these helps in weight
management and eating disorder treatment.
, 3 Appetite is best defined as:
A An external drive often related to pleasant sensations associated with
food — can lead to eating without hunger
B A painful sensation in the stomach signaling need for nutrients
C A hormonal response to low blood glucose
D The body's metabolic rate at rest
CORRECT ANSWER: A
RATIONALE: Appetite is driven by external cues — sight, smell, memory,
and emotional associations with food. It can override satiety signals,
leading to consumption beyond physiological need. This distinction from
hunger is fundamental to understanding overeating, food cravings, and
hedonic eating patterns.
4 The three general functions of nutrients are:
A To provide energy, regulate body processes, and contribute to
cellular/body structure
B To provide taste, texture, and aroma to food
C To prevent all diseases and extend lifespan
D To support only muscle growth and repair
CORRECT ANSWER: A
RATIONALE: All nutrients serve one or more of three fundamental
functions: energy provision (carbohydrates, fats, protein), regulation of
body processes (vitamins, minerals, water), and structural contribution
(protein in muscle, calcium in bone, lipids in cell membranes). These
functions overlap — many nutrients serve multiple roles.