The human body needs a constant supply of energy to function adequately. Energy is needed to have fun and participating in various activities throughout the day. Our daily dose of food ensures that we always stay full of energy and be healthy in mind and body that enables us to conduct our work with passion. Whether you are awake or asleep, our body require a constant source of energy to carry on its metabolic tasks.
Have you ever been thought that how our body gets the energy to do our daily work?
Yes, of course, the answer is food. Food is the vital necessity for any living being, be it humans, animals or organisms, to live. The food that we eat gets converted into energy by our body.
How food get converted into energy
When we eat the food, our body digests the food by mixing it with acid and enzymes in the stomach. The enzymes present in our digestive system progressively break down the complex molecules to sugar and other nutrients. However, some nutrients must undergo initial processing –which mostly occurs in the liver. For example, fats are not water soluble and must first be “packaged” in the liver so they can be safely transported through the bloodstream. Some sugars, such as Fructose and Galactose, are converted to glucose, which is readily carried through the circulatory system. Likewise, protein fragments are degraded by the liver into amino acids, which are more easily transported. At every step, the food is progressively broken down and finally a special molecule called Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) is obtained. This molecule is the energy currency of our body. Our body transforms ATP into a similar molecule, Adenosine Diphosphate (ADP). This transformation of ADP from ATP releases energy that our cells use for their specific functions. This whole process happens in presence of oxygen inside the Mitochondria. It is for this reasons that Mitochondria are called the power houses of the cells.
However, not all food that we eat is a source of energy. As an example, while Carbohydrates and fats are good sources of energy, proteins, vitamins and minerals are primary sources of molecules that the body uses as building blocks for various processes.
The energy extraction from the food that we eat is not as simple as you think it to be. Our body has many complex reactions going on within it. To understand the complexities of our digestive system you need to delve a little deeper into the world of biology. Thus, if you wish to understand more about how the human body functions in aspects related to digestion and providing the required energy to your body, you need to learn more about the biology of the human body.
