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Metabolism Research Paper

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Abhishek Makhija (ID: 29740568)
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Metabolism is understood as a sum of biochemical processes that occur in the body in order to sustain life. An important part of metabolism is a process known as cellular respiration, an enzyme catalysed catabolic process that harvests the energy from food and stored reserves. In the body, this energy is stored as chemical energy in ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) molecules. Hydrolysis of ATP to its more stable products, ADP and Pi, releases this chemical energy (equivalent to 30.5kJ/mol) which can be used for cellular processes. While a number of macromolecules can produce energy in the form of ATP, the body utilises carbohydrates and lipids (stored as triglycerides) its main …show more content…
Before the race begins, fat, the preferred energy source for functioning, will provide 68% of the runner's energy. However, when the race begins, a sudden demand for energy by muscles in the legs and the body occurs. However, oxygen intake is not sufficient for aerobic glycolysis to occur and lipid oxidation takes time to metabolise. As a result, anaerobic glycolysis rates increase, providing the energy required for the run. This increase explains why approximately 85% of energy required for running is produced by carbohydrates (remaining 15% by fat) at the 5-minute mark. However, the increased demand for energy stimulates fatty acid release. As more lipids are mobilised and glycogen stores are depleted, fatty acids produce energy at increasing rates whilst carbohydrates produce energy at decreasing rates. Furthermore, due to increases in breathing reaching rate, aerobic pathways dominate. By the 45-minute mark, fats produce 60% of the energy and carbohydrates produce 40% of the energy required by the …show more content…
bread, milk and fruits). Digestive enzymes hydrolyse complex carbohydrates to their monosaccharide units which enter the bloodstream and are transported to all cells. The monosaccharide glucose (C6H12O6) produces energy in the body via glycolysis (in the cytosol), the first step in a chain of cycles to produce ATP. Glucose is stored in the nucleus of cells, and as glycogen in the liver and skeletal muscle. Glycolysis can occur aerobically, producing 8 ATP molecules and 2 pyruvate molecules, or anaerobically, producing lactate and 2 ATP molecules. Firstly, using one molecule of ATP, glucose is phosphorylated to glucose-6-phosphate irreversibly. Hexokinase catalyses this reaction and requires Mg2+ to function (glucokinase in liver cells also catalyses this reaction). Secondly, the glucopyranose ring of glucose 6-phosphate opens to a linear structure and a furanose rings forms, catalysed by phosphohexose isomerase (which also requires Mg2+), forming fructose-6-phosphate. Phosphofructokinase-1 (with Mg2+) irreversibly phosphorylates the fructose-6-phosphate to form 1,6 – bisphosphate by catalysing the transfer of a phosphate group from ATP to fructose-6-phsospate. In the fourth step, aldolase cleaves 1,6-bisphosphate, forming glyceraldehyde-3-phospate (GAP) and dihydroxyl acetone phosphate (DHAP). The reverse reaction of this utilises the enzyme aldolase. DHAP is converted into GAP using the enzyme triose phosphate isomerase,

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