There are four primary categories of energy expenditure. Of the following, which one represents the majority of total energy use by the body?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Begin by restating the question and options to anchor the analysis: the question asks which of the four primary categories of energy expenditure accounts for the majority of total energy use by the body. The options are: 1) Thermic effect of food, 2) Thermogenesis, 3) Physical activity, 4) Basal metabolism.

Option 1: Thermic effect of food. This represents the energy used to digest, absorb, and assimilate nutrients. While it contributes to total energy expenditure, its share is relatively small—typically around 5-10% of total energy expenditure—so it does not represent the majority. A student should recall that the body spends far more energy maintaining basic physiological functions than processing meals.

Option 2: Thermogenesis. This term broadly covers heat production and can include non-shivering thermogenesis and other heat-generating processes. However, as a category, it does not encompass the largest share of daily energy expenditure; it’s a subset of energy costs and often overlaps with basal processes and environmental factors. Therefore, it’s not the majority.

Option 3: Physical activity. This includes all voluntary movement, exercise, and fidgeting. While physical activity can vary widely between individuals and can be substantial in some contexts, it is not the major and consistent portion for most people. In many people, habitual physical activity does contribute a significant portion, but the majority of energy expenditure is typically from resting processes, not activity, especially in sedentary populations.

Option 4: Basal metabolism. Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the energy required to maintain the body's basic physiological functions at rest, such as breathing, circulation, cellular processes, and temperature maintenance. This component is the largest and most constant portion of total energy expenditure across individuals, often accounting for roughly 60-75% of daily energy use in sedentary adults. It represents the baseline energy cost of living and maintaining homeostasis, making it the dominant category by a wide margin.

Putting these ideas together: when comparing the four categories, basal metabolism is consistently the largest share of total energy expenditure for most people, with thermic effect of food and thermogenesis contributing smaller, more context-dependent amounts, and physical activity varying greatly but not typically surpassing the basal metabolic demand in the average daily mix. Therefore, the statement that Basal metabolism represents the majority of total energy use is correct, whereas the other options describe processes that, while real, do not account for the largest portion of energy expenditure in the typical daily energy budget.

There are four primary categories of energy expenditure. Of the following, which one represents the majority of total energy use by the body?

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There are four primary categories of energy expenditure. Of the following, which one represents the majority of total energy use by the body?

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

Which of the following is the most important factor that influences basal metabolic rate?

Total energy expenditure declines as we age.

Eating certain foods can elevate the basal metabolic rate, and thus promote weight loss.​

Multiple Choice: Which of the following statements about basal metabolic rate (BMR) is false?

The determination of metabolic body weight can be used in the estimation of:

Which of the following factors does NOT influence basal metabolic rate?

Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is typically measured in?

More Practical Tools for International Students

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Eating certain foods can elevate the basal metabolic rate, and thus promote weight loss.