Energy storage, Biology

Assignment Help:

Energy Storage

As we said above, food intake and energy expenditure for animals is approximately equal. If energy expenditure exceeds food intake, then the excess energy is taken up by utilisation of body fat. However, if food intake is excess, then the surplus is stored as fat irrespective of the kind of food eaten. Excess carbohydrates are changed to fats and accordingly RQ exceeds 1. This is because fats contain relatively less oxygen and the excess oxygen of carbohydrates is used in the metabolism. This reduces the oxygen uptake and the respiratory carbon dioxide, oxygen ratio is increased. For this reason fat is ideal storage material for energy. It is much lighter and yields twice as much energy as carbohydrates.

Migratory birds that may have to fly more than 1000 km non-stop, carry fat as 40% to 50% of their body weight. Nonetheless, some carbohydrates are important in energy storage. Glycogen a starch-like carbohydrate polymer is stored as granules in the skeletal muscles and liver of vertebrates. During heavy muscular exercise when blood does not deliver sufficient oxygen to meet demands, glycogen provides the energy. It is broken down directly into glucose-6-phosphate, providing fuel for carbohydrate metabolism more directly than does fat, On the other hand, many animals that do not move about, also store glycogen as excess energy source. For example, clams, oysters and many intestinal parasites like Ascaris use glycogen as the storage material. These animals have to face anaerobic conditions and in such situations glycogen breaks down to acetic acid to yield energy.


Related Discussions:- Energy storage

Determine the diversity of biological evolution, Is crossing over important...

Is crossing over important for the diversity of biological evolution? Sexual reproduction and recombination of linked genes (crossing over) are, with mutations, the main instru

Illustrate numerical taxonomy, Q. Illustrate Numerical Taxonomy? Taxono...

Q. Illustrate Numerical Taxonomy? Taxonomy today is, in many dctails, different from what it was a generation ago. The use of computers by taxonomists has established an intere

Cell biology, what is the role of cholesterol in membrane fluidity?

what is the role of cholesterol in membrane fluidity?

Forms of soil water, Forms of Soil Water Gravitational Water or Groun...

Forms of Soil Water Gravitational Water or Ground Water: After a heavy rain or irrigation, much of the water drains or sinks downwards. This is called gravitational water.

Treatment and disposal technologies for health-care waste, Q. Treatment and...

Q. Treatment and disposal technologies for health-care waste 1. Incineration 2. Chemical disinfection 3. Wet and dry thermal treatment 4. Microwave irradiation 5. L

Lymphatic system - circulation, Normal 0 false false false ...

Normal 0 false false false EN-IN X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

How are the male gametophytes formed in angiosperms, Q. How are the male ga...

Q. How are the male gametes and the male gametophytes formed in angiosperms? In the anthers of every stamen there are pollen sacs. Inside the pollen sacs there are microspore m

Define the importance of iodine in human, Define the importance of Iodine i...

Define the importance of Iodine in human? Iodine derives the nutritional importance as a constituent of thyroid hormones, 3,5,3',5' tetraiodo-thyronine (thyroxine or T 4 ) and

What are the chronic complications of diabetes, Q. What are the Chronic com...

Q. What are the Chronic complications of diabetes? • Atherosclerosis: Degeneration of walls of the arteries due to fatty plaques - deposition on arterial walls. Diabetics ar

Gifted species - biological nitrogen-fixation, Gifted Species - Biological ...

Gifted Species - Biological Nitrogen-Fixation Biological nitrogen fixation remains mainly confined to a few distinct nutritional types of prokaryotes, some of which are free-l

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd