Have you ever felt sluggish or fatigued in the late afternoon because you hadn't had a chance to eat lunch? Food gives you energy. When food is eaten it is broken down into simpler forms for the body to metabolize. Carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars or glucose, in return raising your blood glucose levels which crash when you skip meals leaving you feeling fatigued. This process which glucose undergoes to produce energy is called glycolysis.
Glycolysis is made up of 10 step reactions in which glucose is converted to pyruvate through reactions such as phosporalations, isomerization, oxidation and dehydration to yield 2 ATP. By converting glucose to pyruvate the body can now participate in further processes. These processes result in the yield of 32 molecules of ATP for every one molecule of glucose. That is a lot of energy! However, the body needs that energy to undergo all of its functional processes while giving you the energy to perform your daily tasks.
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I like how you sort of made the beginning sound like an infomercial and you were advertising food. I'm waiting to read some paid testimonial. Haha. Anyway, well done on having your explanation be a bit short and sweet. It is not overloading with information nor is it lacking any key important details. It's also attention grabbing as to how you used examples such as the skipping meals part. It is helpful for those who have no biological background and are able to relate to and know what you are talking about.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Very clear and easy to understand! Thought the way you explained was perfect. It would be very easy for someone to understand who wasn't familiar with the glycolosis process. Great job!!
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