1-a-hydroxylase - Answers The enzyme in the kidneys that catalyzes the hydroxylation reaction of 25-
hydroxycholecalciferol to calcitriol, which is the active form of vitamin D; 1- ⬆️
-hydroxylase activity is
increased by parathyroid hormone when blood calcium levels are low
Absorption - Answers The process by which nutrients are taken into the cells that line the
gastrointestinal tract
Acetone - Answers A major ketone compound that results from fat breakdown for energy in individuals
with uncontrolled diabetes
Achalasia - Answers A disorder of the esophagus in which the muscles of the tube fail to relax, thereby
inhibiting normal swallowing
Acidic or alkaline diets - Answers Diets based on the theory that diets high in acidic foods will disrupt the
body's normal pH balance, which is slightly alkaline
Acidosis - Answers A blood pH of less than 7.35; respiratory acidosis is caused by an accumulation of
carbon dioxide (an acid); metabolic acidosis may be caused by a variety of conditions that result in the
excess accumulation of acids in the body or by a significant loss of bicarbonate (a base)
Adipocytes - Answers Fat cells
Adipose tissue - Answers The storage site for excess fat
Adipose - Answers Fat stored in the cells of adipose (fatty) tissue
Aerobic capacity - Answers A state in which oxygen is required to proceed; milliliters of oxygen
consumed per kilogram of body weight per minute as influenced by body composition
Aldosterone - Answers A hormone of the adrenal glands that acts on the distal nephron tubule to
stimulate the reabsorption of sodium in an ion exchange with potassium
Aldosteronoma - Answers The excess secretion of aldosterone from the adrenal cortex; symptoms and
complications include sodium retention, potassium wasting, alkalosis, weakness, paralysis, polyuria,
polydipsia, hypertension, and cardiac arrhythmias
Alkalosis - Answers A blood pH of more than 7.45; respiratory alkalosis is caused by hyperventilation and
an excess loss of carbon dioxide; metabolic alkalosis is seen with extensive vomiting in which a
significant amount of hydrochloric acid is lost and bicarbonate (a base) is secreted
Allergens - Answers Food proteins that elicit an immune system response or an allergic reaction;
symptoms may include itching, swelling, hives, diarrhea, and difficulty breathing as well as anaphylaxis in
the worst cases
,Allergy - Answers A state of hypersensitivity to particular substances in the environment that works on
the body tissues to produce problems in the functioning of the affected tissues
Alpha-linolenic acid - Answers An essentially fatty acid with 18 carbon atoms and three double bonds;
found in soybean, canola, and flaxseed oil
Amenorrhea - Answers The absence of a menstrual period in a woman of reproductive age
Amenorrheic - Answers The absence of abnormal cessation of the menses
Amino acids - Answers The nitrogen-bearing compounds that form the structural units of protein
Aminopeptidase - Answers A specific protein-splitting enzyme secreted by glands in the walls of the
small intestine that breaks off the nitrogen-containing amino end of the peptide chain, thereby
producing smaller-chained peptides and free amino acids
Anabolism - Answers The metabolic process of building large substances from smaller parts
Anaerobic - Answers A microorganism that can live and grow in an oxygen-free environment
Anaphylaxis - Answers A severe and sometimes fatal allergic reaction that results from exposure to a
protein that the body perceives as foreign and that elicits a systemic response that involved multiple
organs
Anemia - Answers A blood condition that is characterized by a deceased number of circulating red blood
cells, decreased hemoglobin, or both
Anencephaly - Answers A neural tube defect in which the brain does not form
Anencephaly - Answers The congenital absence of the brain that results from the incomplete closure of
the upper end of the neural tube
Angina pectoris - Answers A spasmodic, choking chest pain caused by a lack of oxygen to the heart; this
is a symptom of a heart attack, and it also may be caused be severe effort or excitement
Anorexia nervous - Answers An extreme psychophysiologic aversion to food that results in life-
threatening weight loss; a psychiatric eating disorder that results from a morbid fear of fatness in which
a persons distorted body image is reflected as fat when the body is malnourished and extremely thin a s
a result of self-starvation
Anthropometric measurements - Answers The physical measurements of the human body that are used
for health assessment, including height, weight, skin fold thickness, and circumference
Antibody - Answers Any of numerous protein molecules produced by B cells as a primary immune
defense for attaching to specific related antigens
, Antidiuretic hormone - Answers A hormone of the pituitary gland that acts on the distal nephron tubule
to conserve water by reabsorption; also called vasopressin
Antigen - Answers Any foreign or non-self substance that trigger the production of antibodies that are
specifically designed to counteract their activity
Antioxidant - Answers A molecule that prevents the oxidation of cellular structures by free radicals
Anuria - Answers The absence of urine production; Anuria indicates kidney shutdown or failure
Appetite-regulating network - Answers A hormonally controlled system of appetite stimulation and
suppression
Arteriole - Answers The smallest branch of an artery that connects with the capillaries
Ascites - Answers The accumulation of serous fluid in the abdominal cavity
Ascites - Answers Fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity
Ascorbic acid - Answers The chemical name for vitamin C
Atherosclerosis - Answers The underlying pathology of coronary heart disease; a common form of
arteriosclerosis that is characterized by the formation of fatty streaks that contain cholesterol and that
develop into hardened plaques in the inner lining of major blood vessels such as the coronary arteries
Atonic - Answers Without normal muscle tone
Atopy patch test - Answers A diagnostic test that is used to assess for allergic reactions on the skin
Atrophy - Answers Tissue wasting
Auscultation - Answers Listening to the sounds of the gastrointestinal tract with a stethoscope
Azotemia - Answers An excess of urea and other nitrogenous substances in the blood
Baby bottle tooth decay - Answers The decay of the baby teeth as a result of inappropriate feeding
practices such as putting an infant to bed with a bottle; also called nursing bottle caries, bottle mouth,
and bottle caries
Basal energy expenditure - Answers The amount of energy needed by the body for the maintenance of
life when a person is at complete digestive, physical, mental, thermal, and emotional rest
Beriberi - Answers A disease of the peripheral nerves that is caused by a defiance of thiamin and is
characterized by pain and paralysis of legs and arms
Bile - Answers An emulsifying agent produced by the liver and transported to the gallbladder for
concentration and storage; it is released into the duodenum with the entry of fat to facilitate enzymatic
fat digestion by acting as an emulsifier