So you want to know how glucose can enter our bodies and then somehow we have all this energy to chase after our children? Well here is my attempt to simplify it for a normal human being that doesn't spend their free time folding and bending protein molecules online or watching videos of the metabolism of triacylglycerols. ;)
Glucose is a simple sugar also called a monosaccharide. It is very important, not just to the human body, but to many things such as plants and even bacteria. Glucose is a major form of energy for these things. Humans find a source of glucose in carbohydrates. These carbohydrates enter the body in forms of delicious (mmm moms homemade stuffing), and some not so delicious (yuk, shredded wheat), foods. Once the glucose enters the body it goes through an anaerobic process called glycolysis. Anaerobic simply means "without air" and in this process it means that it is done with out the presence of oxygen.
During glycolysis many changes are made to glucose in the form of chemical reactions. Parts are removed, some things are added, and completely new molecules are created! There are 10 steps to glycolysis and the end result are 2 molecules of pyruvate for every one molecule of glucose.
Pyruvate is important because this molecule can take 3 different pathways. In our case we want it to take the aerobic pathway called the citric acid cycle. During this cycle our body takes these molecules of pyruvate and through this pathway it is able to create 32 molecules of ATP (energy storage molecule) and have only used 1 ATP molecule.
These processes that I have mentioned are happening all the time and even simultaneously. If for every one molecule of glucose that enters our body we get 32 molecules of ATP that is an awful lot of energy our bodies can use to do many other the other amazing and complicated processes that we continue to learn more and more about through new technologies and scientific discoveries every day.
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Morgan, I think that this is an excellent post. You did a great job of taking a rather complex process and explaining it quite simply. I feel like most anyone who read this blog would understand how glucose fuels the human body even without having an extensive science background.
ReplyDeleteI also liked how you focused on the big picture. By that I mean you could have made this blog post extremely long by describing every little step in glycolysis; but instead you gave an overview that highlighted the important reactants, products and the end result. I think that a lot of time when processes like glycolysis are explained in great detail we lose track of what is happening overall. Lastly, I also really like how you pointed out that for every glucose molecule we get 32 molecules of ATP. Given how much glucose the average person takes in on a given day this really puts in perspective the large amount of energy the body needs to function.
Morgan, this is a great way of explaining the process of Glycolysis for those to individuals who have not previously learned about this to fully understand the importance of this process. You added a "homey" feel to it, which makes it easier for people to relate to. Great job!
ReplyDeleteMorgan, I like the "and then somehow we have all this energy to chase after our children?" My eyes jumped to the next sentence and at first I thought you were talking about folding laundry, not folding proteins! This is a great post. I think I'll study it myself.
ReplyDeleteI am really glad you all enjoyed it. I like giving my blogs a personal touch :) Thanks for reading folks!
ReplyDeleteMorgan