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

What are the techniques of pumonary embolism operations, What are the techn...

What are the techniques of pumonary embolism operations ? Technique of Operation :  Patients who are very unstable will have to be put on bypass by cannulation of femoral art

Importance of forests - habitat and food, Importance of Forests - Habitat a...

Importance of Forests - Habitat and Food Forests provide habitat, and food as well as protection to wildlife species against extremes of climate and help in balancing carbon d

Which chamber does the blood go after leaving left atrium, Q. To which hear...

Q. To which heart chamber does the blood go after leaving the left atrium? What is the valve that separates these compartments? The valve between the left atrium and the left v

Explain adverse effects of oseltamivir, Explain Adverse Effects of Oseltami...

Explain Adverse Effects of Oseltamivir  Nausea and vomiting can occur. Taking the drug with food decreases the incidence of nausea. In juvenile rats, very high doses of osel

Sunlight - aquatic habitats, Sunlight - Aquatic Habitats Sunlight is a...

Sunlight - Aquatic Habitats Sunlight is a major limiting factor for water bodies, since light rapidly diminishes as it passes down the column of water. The upper layers of the

Subphylum opalinata, Subphylum Opalinata Body covered with longitudin...

Subphylum Opalinata Body covered with longitudinal rows of cilium like ,organelles but true ciliature absent. Parasitic; cytosome lacking; two to many nuclei of one type.

Metabolic events, Metabolic Events Let us now examine the changes that...

Metabolic Events Let us now examine the changes that occur in the seeds after they imbibe water. In general, the most important metabolic events are: Degradation

What are exocrine respective hormones and enzymes, What are the pancreatic ...

What are the pancreatic tissues involved respectively in the exocrine and endocrine secretions? What are their respective hormones and enzymes? The exocrine secretion of the pa

What is passive transport, What is Passive Transport? Passive Transpor...

What is Passive Transport? Passive Transport :  Specialized proteins called permeases also move specific substances across the cell membrane in a process called carrier transp

Describe in brief about pseudoisoehromatic plates test, Describe in brief a...

Describe in brief about Pseudoisoehromatic Plates test Commonly known as Ishihara's plates, these reveal one pattern to the normal eye and another to the colour deficient. Colo

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