Dictionary of Biological Psychology
(from Latin, nutrire: to nourish) A nutrient is any substance that feeds or nourishes an organism, including PROTEINS, FAT, CARBOHYDRATE and others. An animal’s DIET must include material necessary for the continued production of a wide variety of MOLECULE types that are internally synthesized.
There are in addition essential nutrients that cannot be synthesized by a body and which must therefore be ingested in ‘ready made’ form. What constitutes an essential nutrient varies across species: for humans vitamin C (ASCORBIC ACID) is an essential nutrient, but many other animals it is not. There are a variety of ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS, ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS, VITAMINS and MINERALS that fall into the category of essential nutrients.
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