How Does Glucose Muscle Affects The Human Body

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Foods such as potatoes, rice, corn and wheat contain starch granules which are important energy sources for humans. The human digestive process breaks down the starch into glucose units with the aid of enzymes, and those glucose molecules can circulate in the blood stream as an energy source (hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu). When oxidized in the body in the process called metabolism, glucose produces carbon dioxide, water, and some nitrogen compounds and in the process provides energy which can be used by the cells. The energy yield is about 686 kilocalories per mole which can be used to do work or help keep the body warm. This energy figure is the change in Gibbs free energy ΔG in the reaction, the measure of the maximum amount of work obtainable …show more content…
Energy from glucose is obtained from the oxidation reaction C6H12O6 + 6O2 --> 6CO2 + 6H2O where a mole of glucose (about 180 grams) reacts with six moles of O2 with an energy yield ΔG = 2870 kJ. The six moles of oxygen at STP would therefore occupy about 134 liters. The energy yield from glucose is often stated as the yield per liter of oxygen, which would be 5.1 kcal per liter or 21.4 kJ per liter. This energy yield could be measured by actually burning the glucose and measuring the energy liberated in a calorimeter. But in living organisms, the oxidation of glucose contributes to a series of complex biochemical reactions which provides the energy needed by cells. The first step in the breakdown of glucose in all cells is glycolysis, producing pyruvate which is the starting point for all other processes in cellular respiration. In cells where oxygen is present (aerobic respiration) these processes have been modeled in the TCA or Krebs cycle. A major part of the use of the energy from glucose oxidation is the conversion of ADP to ATP, with the energy-rich molecule ATP being subsequently used as the energy currency of the cell …show more content…
In fact, after water has been excluded, 75 percent of your body weight consists of protein. Proteins play many important roles in the body including the structure of enzymes; these are important proteins that help reactions occur in the body, such as releasing energy from the food we eat. Proteins also function as transport proteins such as hemoglobin; an iron containing protein that transports oxygen to exercising muscles via the bloodstream. Protein consists of building blocks called amino acids, which are linked together in different patterns to form specific proteins with different characteristics. There are twenty different amino acids of which eight are considered essential because they cannot be generated by the body but are necessary for survival. The body uses amino acids circulating in the bloodstream, released from the breakdown of tissues, or consumed in the diet to make protein (extension.iastate.edu). The human body is dependent on fat for optimal health. Fat, or adipose tissue, functions as an insulator to preserve body heat and protect organs in the body. Fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, are dependent on fat for absorption and transportation in the