The chemical process by which your body breaks down the nutrients in foods to release energy for the cells in your body describes _____. (1 point) Responses Calories Calories cholesterol cholesterol metabolism metabolism nutrition
metabolism
The correct response is: metabolism.
The chemical process by which your body breaks down the nutrients in foods to release energy for the cells in your body is called metabolism. Metabolism is a complex set of biochemical reactions that occur in the body to convert the food you eat into energy. To understand this concept, you can break it down into a few steps:
1. First, you consume food that contains macronutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, as well as micronutrients like vitamins and minerals.
2. Next, the digestion process begins, where the food is broken down into smaller molecules with the help of enzymes in the mouth, stomach, and intestines.
3. After digestion, the nutrients, such as glucose (from carbohydrates), amino acids (from proteins), and fatty acids (from fats) are absorbed into the bloodstream.
4. Once in the bloodstream, these nutrients are transported to the cells throughout your body, where they undergo various metabolic processes.
5. Metabolism involves two main processes: catabolism and anabolism. Catabolism breaks down the nutrients to produce energy through a series of chemical reactions, primarily involving the release of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). Anabolism, on the other hand, uses the energy from catabolism to build and repair molecules necessary for cell function.
6. The energy produced during metabolism is vital for various cellular activities, including growth, repair, movement, and maintaining body temperature.
So, the correct answer to the question is metabolism.