nutrientArticle Free Pass nutrient, substance that an organism
must obtain from its surroundings for growth and the sustenance
of life. So-called nonessential nutrients are those that can be
synthesized by the cell if they are absent from the food.
Essential nutrients cannot be synthesized within the cell and
must be present in the food. In some animals, microorganisms
living in the gut may synthesize essential nutrients, which are
then released into the bloodstream. In most living organisms,
nutrients provide not only the energy necessary for certain
vital processes but also the various materials from which all
structural and functional components can be assembled. See also
metabolism; nutrition; and nutrition, human. What made you want
to look up "nutrient"? Please share what surprised you most...