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Research Outline
Prepared for Samuel B. | Delivered November 28, 2019
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Goals
To better understand the Krebs cycle that explains the biochemistry of absorption of lipids and carbohydrates.
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Early Findings
Our research on the Krebs cycle and how it explains the absorption of lipids and carbohydrates revealed insights. Here are some key pieces of information we found:
Krebs Cycle Overview
The Krebs cycle
is also called the citric acid cycle or the tricarboxylic acid cycle. This cycle involves a
series of chemical reactions
required for cellular respiration that includes: redox, dehydration, hydration, and decarboxylation reactions. These reactions produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate), a coenzyme
energy carrier for cells
. The waste product, in the form of carbon dioxide, is also produced as well as further sets of reactants
regenerate the original reaction
.
The main function
of the Krebs cycle is
to produce energy
and occurs in all cells that use oxygen. When combined with the process of oxidative phosphorylation, the Krebs cycle produces
more than 95% of energy
for humans.
Lipid metabolism
is associated with
carbohydrate metabolism
because products of glucose (such as acetyl CoA) can be converted into lipids.
Energy from fat
is obtained by breaking down triglycerides through hydrolysis into their two principal components, fatty acids and glycerol. This
process called lipolysis
is centered in the cytoplasm.
The fatty acids are oxidized
by β-oxidation into acetyl CoA, which is
used by the Krebs cycle
.
Fat molecules produce more energy
than carbohydrates, and triglycerides yield more than twice the amount of energy
when compared to carbohydrates
and proteins. Therefore,
when glucose levels are low
, triglycerides can be converted into acetyl CoA molecules
in the Krebs cycle
and used to generate ATP through aerobic respiration.
Anaerobic activities
such as weight lifting and sprinting
do not require
the body to utilize
the Krebs cycle
for obtaining energy. However, activities like long distance running or extended cardio need the aerobic metabolic pathway of
the Krebs cycle
for energy production.
The Krebs cycle is the
only metabolic pathway
that will burn fat along with carbs and protein for energy production, and this cycle is the
only real way that fat is used
as an energy source.
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