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Gluconeogenesis
The human
body is a very interesting physiological concern. With all of the
different processes going on within the human body, it is almost a
wonder that we as human beings are able to function as normally as we
do. Literally hundreds of thousands if not millions of reactions are
occurring all the time in our bodies and in some cases if even one of
them goes wrong it can cause a cataclysmic upheaval that would have us
bed ridden for weeks at best and could possibly lead to death.
Somehow,
throughout it all, human beings are not only able to survive but to
flourish as well, going through their lives in most cases with ease as
their physiological and chemical reactions continue onwards with
relative ease. One of these reactions is gluconeogenesis or in words
that are easier to understand the synthesis of glucose molecules within
the human body. Before we can explain the exact meaning and significance
of the gluconeogenic pathways and what they mean to the human body as a
whole, we need to explain a couple of other things first; namely the
basics of energy in humans and the process of glycolysis.
Energy
in Humans
In human
beings, our energy (which can affect how we feel and the way we act) is
determined to a large extent by what is going on inside of our cells.
The blood flowing through our veins, our ability to avoid getting sick
or participate in activities in spite of it, and many other things that
we do in our day to day lives are governed and facilitated by the cells
inside of us, regardless of the kinds of cells they are. The cells
inside all of us have small organelles called mitochondria and these
organelles are responsible for energizing the cells and therefore the
human body.
Mitochondria are able to accomplish this through the use of the molecule
adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP), a super-charged high-energy molecule that
is perfect for the purposes of each individual mitochondrion. This in
essence means that our energy depends on the production of these
molecules and their use by our cells. The easiest way to create new ATP
molecules is through the process of glycolysis.
Glycolysis
During
glycolysis, the body takes one glucose molecules (glucose is sugar) and
splits it into two pyruvate molecules through a series of reactions of
which one of the by products is ATP. To be more precise, two ATP
molecules are created for every one molecule of glucose that is put
through glycolysis. The pyruvate molecules then go through additional
reactions to produce more ATP molecules. The production of ATP molecules
are very important to the body as a whole and it is for this reason that
there are many reactions within the human body that create ATP;
glycolysis being one of them.
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Gluconeogenesis
In certain
cases, the body actually ends up needing more glucose than is present.
Whether or not it needs to store glucose or it needs it for any other
purpose, there needs to exist a mechanism (i.e. a series of reactions)
through which the body can manufacture glucose. This is doubly important
when you take into consideration the fact that glucose might not always
be readily available for intake in the outside environment.
The process
of gluconeogenesis is one of the most important processes within the
human body because it is the reverse of glycolysis; it is the process
used by the human body to take two pyruvate molecules and convert them
back into a glucose molecule. Naturally all of the by-products that were
created by the forward reaction are going to need to be consumed and
this is where the ATP molecules come into play once again. Two ATP
molecules are consumed in the gluconeogenic process.
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