Glucose is the molecule our bodies use the most often to fuel our energy needs. The reason for this being that for many people a large portion of their diet is made up of carbohydrates. Glucose just happens to be a carbohydrate. More specifically glucose is a monosaccharide or simple sugar. Unfortunately, the carbohydrates that we eat are usually not simple sugars, but long chains of sugars known as polysaccharides. Thankfully we have something called salivary amylase or saliva in our mouths. Thus the minute we put food in our mouths the amylase begins the process of breaking down the food, both mechanically and chemically. Once a carbohydrate for example is broken down into glucose, glucose can then enter the metabolic pathway known as glycolysis.
Glycolysis occurs in the cytoplasm of cells in all living organisms, not just in humans. It is an anaerobic process that converts one molecule of glucose into two molecules of pyruvate. Although it would be wonderful if glycolysis was an instantaneous reaction it actually takes some time as the conversion of glucose to pyruvate requires ten separate steps which modify the glucose. These ten steps include several phosphorlyations, wherein a phosphate is added, as well as several isomerizations ,where the arrangement of the atom is merely altered. In spite of having to wait on these ten steps glycolysis is certainly worthwhile as it produces two molecules of ATP which can be used as energy for the body. It also yields two molecules of pyruvate which can then be sent on to other pathways such as the citric acid cycle, which in conjunction with the electron transport chain, can produce thirty two molecules of ATP. This ATP will certainly help our body to maintain normal functioning.
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I think that you made a very good point of the types of carbohydrates that we eat. There is a large difference on how our bodies uses simple sugars compared to complex sugars, even though the process of creating ATP from a single glucose molecule is the same. I think that it has to do with the different in bonds. Phrased simply, the more complex the carbohydrate the more complex the bonds, therefore lasting in the body longer.
ReplyDeleteI like your post. I have been reading the, "explain glucose to a friend" post and some of them have been way to scientific. If was your friend and you explained what you just wrote to me, I would completely understand what your talking about. You break it down very well, and make it easy for the average Joe to understand. I think you could of explained the TCA cycle and electron transport chain with a little more detail because if you told me that glycolysis puts out 2 ATP and the electron transport chain helps produce 30 ATP I would be curious to know why. All in ALL great post.
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