nitrogen balance
- noun
- /ˈnaɪtrədʒən ˈbæl.əns/
- Specialized
- Growth-hormone deficiency can contribute to a negative nitrogen balance in critical illness.
And that's based on nitrogen balance studies, which essentially can look at the, you know, how well your body is absorbing protein.
- And that's based on nitrogen balance studies, which essentially can look at the, you know, how well your body is absorbing protein.
Examples
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Growth hormone administration reduces nitrogen production and improves nitrogen balance in patients with severe sepsis 61.
Academic text (2017) -
And that's based on nitrogen balance studies, which essentially can look at the, you know, how well your body is absorbing protein.
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What kind of carbon-nitrogen balance do they have?
Blog text (31) -
It has something to do with nitrogen balance.
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Increased infection, reduced tolerance of activity, delayed wound healing, and peripheral edema can result from the devastating effects of weight loss and the negative nitrogen balance (DeSanti, 2000).
Academic text (2002) -
To assess soil health, scientists often evaluate the nitrogen balance by measuring the nitrogen absorbed and lost over time.
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A positive nitrogen balance indicates that an organism is taking in more nitrogen than it is excreting, which is crucial for growth.
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Maintaining a proper nitrogen balance is essential for farmers to ensure their crops receive enough nutrients for healthy development.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase simply denotes the 'balance' (proportion/difference) of 'nitrogen', so its meaning is directly compositional: a learner who knows 'nitrogen' and 'balance' can infer it refers to the relative amounts (input vs. loss). This kind of noun‑noun composition is common in scientific registers and across languages, making the concept predictable to a B1 learner familiar with the constituent words.
Etymology
Nitrogen balance comes from a simple image: imagine a scale that compares nitrogen coming into the body or soil and the balance of what goes out. So the balance shows if the body or soil is 'healthy' because it has enough nitrogen, or 'not enough' when more nitrogen leaves than comes in.