What is the term for the consumption of a substance, typically food?

The term for the consumption of a substance, typically food, is indeed ingestion. This process refers specifically to the act of taking in food or drink through the mouth, which is the initial step in the digestive process. Ingestion is critical for obtaining nutrients that are essential for energy, growth, and cellular repair.

Absorption refers to the process after digestion where nutrients are transferred from the digestive system into the bloodstream. Digestion encompasses all the processes that convert food into usable nutrients, involving both mechanical and chemical breakdown of food. Metabolism involves all biochemical reactions that occur within the body, including those related to ingestion, digestion, and energy production. Therefore, while all these processes are interconnected in the overall management of nutrients in an organism, ingestion specifically addresses the act of consuming food.