Carbohydrate Metabolism
‘Oh, I’ve cut out carbs. I feel so much healthier’, many people tell me. But I doubt they know what ‘carbs’ really are, nor why we really need them in our diet - Keith Frayn
HWN Suggests
Understanding Human Metabolism: Carbohydrates, the bread of life
When we eat starchy foods, the bonds between the individual glucose molecules are broken down as the food is digested, and eventually, in our small intestine, glucose can be taken up and transported into the bloodstream. Glucose is by far the major sugar in our bodies and is a ready source of energy for tissues such as the brain and our muscles. But – although I might want to carry on thinking after a meal – I might not want to go out and exercise immediately. So we need to store spare glucose. And we do that by making our own form of starch, called glycogen. (Glycogen and starch are very similar in structure, but with one difference: each large molecule of glycogen is built around a…
Articles of Interest
Briefly explained: Fat and Carbohydrate Metabolism
Carbohydrate metabolism (= glycogen metabolism, sugar metabolism) provides about twice as much energy per time as fat metabolism, but fats burn much longer and are practically unlimited in the body, while glycogen reserves only last for about 90 minutes of exercise. The differences between the two systems can be interpreted similarly to burning something at a medium or low flame.
Carbohydrate Metabolism
Living cells are in a state of ceaseless activity. To maintain its “life,” each cell depends on highly coordinated biochemical reactions. Carbohydrates are an important source of the energy that drives these reactions.
Carbohydrate Metabolism in the Liver
The liver plays a central role in maintaining steady blood glucose levels by converting excess glucose into glycogen through a process known as glycogenesis. Subsequently, when there is bodily demand for glucose, the glycogen can be converted back into glucose through a process known as glycogenolysis.
Carl and Gerty Cori and Carbohydrate Metabolism
In brilliant collaboration, Carl and Gerty Cori studied how the body metabolizes glucose and advanced the understanding of how the body produces and stores energy. Their findings were particularly useful in the development of treatments for diabetes. In 1947 the Coris shared a Nobel Prize for their discoveries.
Glucose Metabolism: What It is, How It Works and Why We Need It
Glucose metabolism involves multiple processes, including glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, glycogenolysis, and glycogenesis. Glycolysis in the liver is a process that involves various enzymes that encourage glucose catabolism in cells.
Resources
NIH
Carbohydrates are the most abundant macromolecules on our planet, in part because of the plant carbohydrates cellulose and starch, both composed of multiple conjugated glucose molecules. Cellulose is an important structural element of plant cell walls. Animals lack enzymes that can break down the cellulose into smaller glucose molecules, but they can break down starch into smaller glucose molecules.
