Nutrient/ja: Difference between revisions

A '''nutrient''' is a [[Chemical substance|substance]] used by an organism to survive, grow, and reproduce. The requirement for dietary nutrient intake applies to [[animal]]s, [[plant]]s, [[fungus|fungi]], and [[protist]]s. Nutrients can be incorporated into cells for [[metabolism|metabolic purposes]] or [[excretion|excreted]] by cells to create non-cellular structures, such as [[hair]], [[scale (anatomy)|scales]], [[feather]]s, or [[exoskeleton]]s. Some nutrients can be metabolically converted to smaller molecules in the process of releasing energy, such as for [[carbohydrate]]s, [[lipid]]s, [[protein (nutrient)|protein]]s, and [[fermentation]] products ([[ethanol]] or [[vinegar]]), leading to end-products of water and [[carbon dioxide]]. All organisms require water. Essential nutrients for animals are the energy sources, some of the [[amino acid]]s that are combined to create [[protein]]s, a subset of [[fatty acid]]s, [[vitamin]]s and certain [[mineral (nutrient)|minerals]]. Plants require more diverse minerals absorbed through roots, plus carbon dioxide and oxygen absorbed through leaves. [[fungus|Fungi]] live on dead or living organic matter and meet nutrient needs from their host.