What Actually Happens During Digestion?

  • Thread starter Johnleprekan
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In summary, digestion involves breaking down food to its individual molecules in order to be absorbed into the bloodstream.
  • #1
Johnleprekan
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What actually happens when cells break down food and combines it with oxygen? Does the sugar release a particle or energy in the form of light? If a particle, what is happening? Does the release of energy transform two different particles (one is the sugar, the other being the one that receives the energy)? Explain in layman's terms please.
 
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  • #2
are you asking digestion or sugar metabolism. The average glucose starts with 6 carbons, then 3 carbons and then CO2 as the end product. There is no light, energy is stored in the form several reducing molecules and the rest lost in the form of heat.
 
  • #3
Johnleprekan said:
What actually happens when cells break down food and combines it with oxygen? Does the sugar release a particle or energy in the form of light? If a particle, what is happening? Does the release of energy transform two different particles (one is the sugar, the other being the one that receives the energy)? Explain in layman's terms please.

Most of the energy released from oxidizing glucose is stored as chemical energy in the molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Most of the cells metabolic processes use energy released when adenosine triphosphate loses a phosphate group to become adenosine diphosphate (ADP), or adenosine monophosphate (AMP).
The formation of ATP occurs in the cell, usually in the mitochondria. The ATP travels to other parts of the cell, to provide energy. ATP has been called the "energy currency of the cell". Whenever respiration occurs, some fuel gets oxidized. As far as the cell is concerned, the most important part of the respiration process is the formation of ATP.
Here is a link regarding ATP.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adenosine_triphosphate
“The overall process of oxidizing glucose to carbon dioxide is known as cellular respiration and can produce about 30 molecules of ATP from a single molecule of glucose.[23] ATP can be produced by a number of distinct cellular processes; the three main pathways used to generate energy in eukaryotic organisms are glycolysis and the citric acid cycle/oxidative phosphorylation, both components of cellular respiration; and beta-oxidation. The majority of this ATP production by a non-photosynthetic aerobic eukaryote takes place in the mitochondria, which can make up nearly 25% of the total volume of a typical cell.”
 
  • #4
Your question as elaborated was about the whole of energy metabolism; Darwin has given you as good an answer as you can reasonably expect here, - you need a couple of chapters at least of almost any book of general biochemistry.

Strictly physiologists and biochemists reserve the term 'digestion' to mean just the first part of the process: the chemical breaking down in the digestive tract, mainly stomach, of complex molecules like proteins and polysaccharides into simpler soluble ones such as amino acids and monosaccharides which can then be absorbed into the bloodstream. This absorbtion is already considered a different process to digestion.
 
  • #5


During digestion, food is broken down into smaller molecules that can be absorbed and used by our cells. This process involves both mechanical and chemical processes. In the mouth, food is physically broken down by chewing and mixed with saliva, which contains enzymes that start the chemical breakdown of carbohydrates.

As food travels through the digestive system, it is further broken down by enzymes and stomach acid. The small intestine is where most of the nutrients from food are absorbed into the bloodstream. These nutrients include carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

Once these nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream, they are transported to our cells. In order for our cells to use these nutrients, they need to be combined with oxygen in a process called cellular respiration. This process releases energy in the form of ATP, which is the main source of energy for our cells.

The breakdown of sugar (carbohydrates) during cellular respiration does not release a particle, but rather it releases energy in the form of ATP. This energy is then used by the cell to perform various functions such as growth, repair, and movement. The process of cellular respiration does not transform two different particles, but rather it combines the sugar molecule with oxygen to produce energy.

In summary, during digestion, food is broken down into smaller molecules that can be absorbed and used by our cells. These molecules are then combined with oxygen during cellular respiration to produce energy in the form of ATP, which is used by our cells to perform various functions. This process does not release particles, but rather it transforms the chemical energy in food into usable energy for our cells.
 

What is digestion?

Digestion is the process by which our body breaks down food into smaller molecules that can be absorbed and used by our cells. It involves mechanical and chemical processes that occur in the mouth, stomach, and small intestine.

What happens in the mouth during digestion?

In the mouth, food is broken down mechanically by chewing and mixed with saliva, which contains enzymes that start to break down carbohydrates. This creates a bolus, a small ball of food that can be easily swallowed and passed into the esophagus.

What happens in the stomach during digestion?

In the stomach, food is further broken down by stomach acid and enzymes, which help to break down proteins. The stomach also churns the food, mixing it with the stomach acid and creating a semi-liquid mixture called chyme.

What happens in the small intestine during digestion?

The small intestine is where most of the absorption of nutrients takes place. The chyme from the stomach is mixed with bile and enzymes from the pancreas and liver. These enzymes break down fats, proteins, and carbohydrates into smaller molecules that can be absorbed through the walls of the small intestine and into the bloodstream.

What happens to the waste products of digestion?

The waste products of digestion, such as insoluble fiber, are passed into the large intestine, where water is absorbed and the remaining waste is formed into feces. The feces are then eliminated from the body through the rectum and anus.

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