Glossary

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  • Oedema

    Oedema

    Excess retention of fluid in the body; may be caused by cardiac, renal, or hepatic failure or by starvation (famine oedema). The presence of abnormally large amounts of fluid in the intercellular tissue spaces of the body. Swelling of tissue due to an accumulation of fluids, often caused by kidney or heart failure. The swelling…

  • Obstructed labour

    Failure of descent of the fetal presenting part (usually the head) because of disproportion between the size of the head, which may be unusually large, and the size of the bony birth canal, which may be unusually small. An important cause of maternal and/or fetal death if caesarean section is not available to the labouring…

  • Obstipation

    Extreme and persistent constipation caused by obstruction of the intestinal tract. Severe constipation, often caused by a blockage in the intestines. Extreme constipation, caused by obstruction in the intestinal system.  

  • Nutritional genomics (nutrigenomics)

    The field encompassing the interactions between nutrients and the genome and gene products, the function of gene products, and the identification and understanding of the genetic basis for individual and population differences in the response to diet.  

  • Nutrition surveillance

    Monitoring the state of health, nutrition, eating behaviour, and nutrition knowledge of the population for the purpose of planning and evaluating nutrition policy. Especially in developing countries, monitoring may include factors that may give early warning of nutritional emergencies.  

  • Nutrition labeling and education act (1990)

    NLEA, the basis of current US food labelling.  

  • Nutrification

    The addition of nutrients to foods at such a level as to make a major contribution to the diet.  

  • Nutraceuticals

    Term for compounds in foods that are not nutrients but have (potential) beneficial effects. Coined in 1989 by Stephen DeFelice, this term is used to refer to either a food or portion of food (e.g., a vitamin, essential amino acid, etc.) that possesses medical or health benefits (to the organism that consumes that nutraceutical). For…

  • Nucleotides

    Compounds of purine or pyrimidine base with a sugar phosphate. A molecule consisting of one molecule of phosphoric acid, one molecule of sugar and one molecule of a base. Compound containing a base (a purine or pyrimidine), a sugar, and a phosphate group. Nucleic acids [e.g., deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA)] are composed…

  • Nucleosides

    Compounds of purine or pyrimidine bases with a sugar, most commonly ribose. For example, adenine plus ribose forms adenosine. With the addition of phosphate a nucleotide is formed. A hybrid molecule consisting of a purine (adenine, guanine) or pyrimidine (thymine, uracil, or cytosine) base covalently linked to a five-membered sugar ring (ribose in the case…

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