Obtaining Energy in Absence of Low Carbohydrates

Question 1

What is the first food choice for organisms when they cannot find carbohydrates?

Answer 1

The first food choice is glucose or other sugars.

Question 2

What happens if sugars run low?

Answer 2

If sugars run low, starches are broken down (in liver and muscles) to produce more.

Question 3

What happens when starches run low?

Answer 3

If starches run low, fats are broken down into glycerol and fatty acids.

Question 4

What is the last thing that happens?

Answer 4

Finally in sheer starvation proteins must be broken down (muscle wasting, loss of hair, pigment color)

Question 5

What happens if an organism cannot have carbohydrates?

Give the full event sequence.

Answer 5

The first food choice is glucose or other sugars.

If sugars run low, starches are broken down (in liver and muscles) to produce more.

If starches run low, fats are broken down into glycerol and fatty acids.

Finally, in sheer starvation proteins must be broken down (muscle wasting, loss of hair, pigment loss)