THE ENERGY OF LIFE
|
|
THE ENERGY OF LIFE
The Universe’s basic component is energy. Energy is behind all changes, transformations and movements. Even matter itself is nothing but concentrated energy. In a profound sense, EVERYTHING is energy.
|
- Energy and living beings
- Life requires a continuous supply of energy. Green plants trap this energy directly from the sun’s rays by means of photosynthesis thanks to their chlorophyll molecules which transform the water at a plant’s roots and the air’s carbon dioxide into glucose and oxygen.
- Life is a hungry consumer of energy. Anamals move an to do so, they require a lot of energy.
- Storage of energy by animals
- The story of two cells
- The first living beings to inhabit the Earth were a sort of bacteria. Bacteria are primitive, small, simple cells.
- These cells, called prokaryotes are so different to the others, they make up a separate Kingdom all to themselves.
- Mitochondria: Sub-cellular monsters
- In the world of cells, mitochondria are the machines used to obtain energy. One single human cell can contain a thousand mitochondria.
- ATP is the energy currency in the living world. It is present in each and every power reaction of all living organisms.
- Energy in the human body
- The human brain is a demanding organ. Though it weighs but 2% of our body weight, it consumes 20% of the body’s total energy even when we are asleep. It feeds exclusively on glucose and needs some 150 grams of it per day to meet its needs. However, it cannot store glucose itself.
- Thus, survival of the brain depends on the continuous supply of glucose stored in the liver delivered through our blood stream. |
|
|
|
|
