The term nutrition refers to the sum total of all the processes by which an organism takes in and makes use of the foods it needs to survive, grow, move, and develop. The word nutrition is also used to refer to the study of the substances an organism needs in order to survive. Those substances are known as nutrients.
Some organisms, such as plants, require nothing other than a supply of light, water, and simple chemicals in order to thrive. Such organisms are known as autotrophs, or self nourishers. Autotrophs build all the molecules they...
Source: Encyclopedia of Science, ©2005 Gale Cengage. All Rights Reserved. Full copyright.
(The entire page is 1718 words.)
Want to read the whole thing?
Subscribe now to read the rest of this article. Plus, get access to:
- 30,000+ literature study guides
- Critical essays on more than 30,000 works of literature from Salem on Literature (exclusive to eNotes)
- An unparalleled literary criticism section. 40,000 full-length or excerpted essays.
- Content from leading academic publishers, all easily citable with our "Cite this page" button.
- 100% satisfaction guarantee READ MORE
