nitrogen balance

nitrogen balance

n.

The difference between the amount of nitrogen taken into the body and the amount excreted or lost.

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nitrogen balance,

n a determination made about the body's ability to meet its protein needs which is reached by comparing the amount of nitrogen taken in with the amount discharged via urine, hair, skin, or perspiration.

nitrogen balance, negative,

n a condition in which nitrogen output exceeds nitrogen intake, resulting in the body's need to draw on its own stores of protein for energy; may be caused by dietary imbalances, illness, infection, anxiety, or stress.

nitrogen balance, positive,

n a body condition in which nitrogen intake exceeds nitrogen output; a normal state for children, pregnant women, or individuals recovering from illness or surgery, whose bodies require extra protein in order to build tissue.