WHERE DOES THE HUMAN BODY GET ITS ENERGY FROM? - ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY - 2024

The energy obtained by the human body comes from the food it eats, which is destined to the generation of biomolecules that carry out vital functions. All parts of the human body (muscles, brain, heart and liver mainly) need energy to function. This energy comes from the food that people eat.

In order to build biomolecules and maintain life, the body needs energy. The body gets its energy from the breakdown of nutrients like glucose, amino acids, and fatty acids.

To build molecules there must be simultaneous molecular destruction to provide the energy necessary to drive these biochemical reactions. This is a continuous process that occurs throughout the day.

It should be understood that anabolism (tissue building) and catabolism (tissue breakdown) occur simultaneously all the time. However, they differ in magnitude depending on the level of activity or rest and when the last meal was eaten.

When anabolism exceeds catabolism, net growth occurs. When catabolism exceeds anabolism, the body has a net loss of substances and body tissues and can lose weight.

Therefore, it is correct to say that the human body converts energy stored in food into work, heat energy, and / or chemical energy that is stored in fat tissue.

Eaten food is the source of energy for the human body

The human body gets energy from where?

The actual materials that are burned in cells to produce heat and energy come from food. Sunlight, air, and exercise never produce heat and energy.

All they can do is help keep cells active. Not all foods, however, are energetic. Some simply help the body grow.

Certain cells, such as those in the heart, stomach, and lungs, are active all the time and become sluggish if they are not fed properly.

Of course, the more active a person is, the more energy foods they need because more cells are in continuous work.

The human body digests the food that was consumed by mixing it with liquids (acids and enzymes) in the stomach.

When the stomach digests food, the carbohydrates (sugars and starches) in the food are broken down into another type of sugar, called glucose.

The stomach and small intestine absorb glucose and then release it into the bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream, glucose can be used immediately for energy or for storage in the body, to be used later.

However, the body needs insulin in order to use or store glucose for energy. Without insulin, glucose remains in the bloodstream, keeping blood sugar levels high.

Energy storage

The human body stores long-term energy in lipids: they are fats and oils. Lipids contain bonds that can be broken to release a lot of energy.

Short-term energy is stored in carbohydrates, such as sugars. An example of this is glucose. However, glucose is a large molecule and it is not the most efficient way for the body to quickly make energy.

The most common form of energy in the cell is adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This is a molecule consisting of one molecule of adenine, with a 5-carbon sugar attached to three phosphate groups. When it breaks, energy is released, and the molecule turns into ADP, or adenosine diphosphate.

Energy transformation

Food contains a lot of stored chemical energy. But this chemical energy stored in food is not, in its normal state, of much use to the human body.

Someone could not stain themselves with a plate of spaghetti on their legs and hope that this helps to execute a faster action. Therefore, it is important to note that digestion is necessary to begin the process of energy transformation.

The process begins with chewing, and then the enzymes in the digestive system progressively break down the molecules in the food.

They eventually end up with sugars and fats, and finally in the special molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This special molecule is the energy source for which the body has worked.

Individual cells in the body transform ATP into a similar molecule, adenosine diphosphate (ADP). This transformation from ATP to ADP releases the energy that cells use for bodily functions.

It is important to note that not all foods are sources of energy. Carbohydrates and fats are good sources of energy, but proteins, vitamins, and minerals are primarily sources of molecules that the body uses as building blocks for various processes.

Also, going from the release of ATP energy to an action like walking is still quite a complicated process.

To fully understand this, one has to know how all the systems of the human body work, independently and together.

Balance in the amount of energy within the human body

An important issue with regard to energy and with the human body is the large-scale picture of how the body deals with the "balance" between the input of energy from food and the output of energy in the form of bodily functions..

If more food energy is taken in than the body uses (through breathing, exercise, etc.), then the body stores this excess energy as fat.

If less dietary energy is taken in than the body uses, then the body relies on fat storage for the necessary energy.

Obviously this balance, or lack of balance, has a lot to do with whether you gain weight, lose weight, or maintain weight.

More input energy than output energy and weight is gained. Less input energy than output energy and weight is lost.

When you exercise, muscle fibers grow and consume muscle that contains protein fibers, creatine, fat, and water.

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