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Metabolic reactions must go on continually as long as life continues. If the energy-substrates are not replenished by food intake, the body-tissues themselves will be metabolized. The first preference for energy supply is given to the carbohydrates and fats. The amino acids from proteins are used mainly as building materials. Catabolism takes first priority. Anabolic processes are deferred if there are not enough materials available for both.
Carbohydrate Metabolism
A lump of sugar or a piece of fruit can give "instant energy" to a tired person. Food-sugar in the form of glucose is quickly absorbed through the stomach-lining and is carried by the blood-stream to the cells. Simple food substances such as water, simple salts, simple sugars, alchohol, some drugs do not need further digestion and can be absorbed directly through the stomach-lining. Complex sugars and starches make their effect felt less rapidly, but they too contribute to the body's energy reserves. Glucose is the main product of starch digestion and virtually all the sugar in the blood is in the form of glucose. Some of the major alternatives in the body for the sugars absorbed from the digestive tract are as follows they may
1. pass into the circulation as blood-sugar.
2. be carried to the liver and converted to glycogen and stored there,
3. be converted to glycogen in skeletal muscles,
4. be converted to lipids and stored in fat deposits,
5. be converted to amino-acids,
6. be oxidized in the tissues as energy sources,
7. be excreted in the urine (as in the disorder diabetes).
Blood-sugar
When food is eaten, the blood-sugar level rises to a peak and then falls rapidly. A high blood-glucose concentration triggers an automatic regulatory mechanism in which
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