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

Animal kingdom/pisces, similarity between pisces & mammals about dirhynous ...

similarity between pisces & mammals about dirhynous condition......

Explain the bulimia nervosa, Explain the Bulimia Nervosa? Diagnostic Cr...

Explain the Bulimia Nervosa? Diagnostic Criteria Bulimia Nervosa patients, unlike those of anorexia nervosa with binge and purge subtype, are typically within the normal weight

What is myocardial infarction, Q. What is myocardial infarction? The My...

Q. What is myocardial infarction? The Myocardial infarction is the condition in which an area of this tissue or the entire heart muscle dies by hypoxia due to lack of blood irr

Energy absorbed by plants to be used in photosynthesis, Q. What is the path...

Q. What is the path followed by the energy absorbed by plants to be used in photosynthesis? The energy source of photosynthesis is the sun, the central and unique star of our p

Do algae reproduce asexually or sexually, Q. Do algae reproduce asexually o...

Q. Do algae reproduce asexually or sexually? There are algae that reproduce asexually, There are algae that reproduce sexually and. In unicellular algae reproduction is usually

What is ventilation, What is ventilation   A.  An increase in the hydro...

What is ventilation   A.  An increase in the hydrogen ion concentration in the interstitial spaces of the  brain stem leads to an increase in the duration of the respiratory cy

Causes of air pollution, Causes of Air Pollution We known about the c...

Causes of Air Pollution We known about the composition of atmosphere, its major and minor constituents. The composition of atmosphere has remained the same for thousands of y

Alkaline phosphatase, Alkaline Phosphatase is an enzyme which catalyzes th...

Alkaline Phosphatase is an enzyme which catalyzes the hydrolysis of the phosphomonoesters of the 5' nucleotides. It is used to dephosphorylate (remove phosphate groups from) the 5

Materials handling and storage, Materials Handling and Storage Materi...

Materials Handling and Storage Material handling is a very significant process in working place. The materials are handled in not finished, semi finished and finished states.

State the list of behavioural observations, State the list of Behavioural O...

State the list of Behavioural Observations A typical list of domains would include the following: Mood and affect Motivation and cooperation Social interaction

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