The term that describes the processes of taking in nutrients, assimilating, and using them is called what?

• A. Metabolism
• B. Digestion
• C. Nutrition
• D. Absorption

Answer: (C)

Nutrition describes how organisms take in nutrients, assimilate them, and use them for growth, repair, and energy. It encompasses the whole sequence: intake of food, digestion to break nutrients down into usable forms, absorption into the bloodstream, and assimilation and utilization by cells to support bodily functions. While digestion focuses on breaking down food and absorption covers nutrient entry into the body, nutrition covers the broader process of how those nutrients are incorporated into tissues and used by the body. Metabolism, by contrast, refers to the broader set of chemical reactions that occur inside cells to convert nutrients into energy and new biomolecules, not the entire intake-to-use sequence. So nutrition best fits the description of taking in nutrients, assimilating them, and using them.