Question
We often hear people talk about how the body “burns” glucose and other sugars to provide energy, but it’s not as simple as your stomach just creating raw energy from food. Explain how, on a cellular level, your body actually breaks down glucose and how the “energy” ends up in the inner membrane of your mitochondria.
Make it super super duper short and simple plss
Make it super super duper short and simple plss
Answers
GPT-4o mini
When you eat glucose, it travels to your cells, where it enters through cell membranes. Inside the cell, glucose is broken down through a process called glycolysis in the cytoplasm, producing a small amount of energy (ATP) and molecules called pyruvate.
Pyruvate then moves into the mitochondria, where it enters the citric acid cycle (Krebs cycle), generating more energy carriers (NADH and FADH2). These carriers transport electrons to the inner mitochondrial membrane, where they pass through the electron transport chain.
As electrons move through the chain, they release energy used to pump protons across the membrane, creating a gradient. Finally, protons flow back through an enzyme called ATP synthase, generating a lot of ATP—this is the energy your body uses!
Pyruvate then moves into the mitochondria, where it enters the citric acid cycle (Krebs cycle), generating more energy carriers (NADH and FADH2). These carriers transport electrons to the inner mitochondrial membrane, where they pass through the electron transport chain.
As electrons move through the chain, they release energy used to pump protons across the membrane, creating a gradient. Finally, protons flow back through an enzyme called ATP synthase, generating a lot of ATP—this is the energy your body uses!