The body converts the energy stored in food molecules (such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the primary energy currency used by cells to fuel metabolic processes and sustain life.
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The body converts the energy stored in food molecules (such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the primary energy currency used by cells to fuel metabolic processes and sustain life.
The body utilizes the energy derived from food through a process called cellular respiration. After digestion, glucose and other nutrients enter cells, where they undergo glycolysis, breaking down glucose into pyruvate. In the presence of oxygen, pyruvate enters the citric acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation, occurring in the mitochondria, producing adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP serves as the cellular energy currency, powering various metabolic activities, muscle contractions, and biochemical processes essential for growth and maintenance. If oxygen is limited, anaerobic metabolism may occur, producing ATP without oxygen but less efficiently and leading to the production of lactic acid in muscles.