Table of Contents
Is turning food into energy a chemical change?
Digestion involves both physical and chemical changes. During digestion, the chemical energy found in our food can be converted to many different forms. The chemical energy in food can be converted to another form of chemical energy when it is stored as glucose or fat.
What is the process of energy released by food oxidation?
Oxidation of a simpler form of food takes place in the cell. Hence, this process is called cellular respiration.
What kind of activities would require the body to breakdown food to make energy?
Energy produced from food in the human body is used to maintain the body’s essential functions (e.g. cell growth and repair, respiration, blood transport) and perform physical tasks including work, exercise and recreational activities.
How does the body convert food energy to work energy?
The human body converts energy stored in food into work, thermal energy, and/or chemical energy that is stored in fatty tissue. The rate at which the body uses food energy to sustain life and to do different activities is called the metabolic rate, and the corresponding rate when at rest is called the basal metabolic rate (BMR)
Energy consumption is directly proportional to oxygen consumption because the digestive process is basically one of oxidizing food. We can measure the energy people use during various activities by measuring their oxygen use. (See Figure 2.)
Which is the rate at which the body uses food energy?
The rate at which the body uses food energy to sustain life and to do different activities is called the metabolic rate, and the corresponding rate when at rest is called the basal metabolic rate (BMR)
How is energy consumption determined in the body?
About 75% of food calories are used to sustain basic body functions included in the basal metabolic rate. The energy consumption of people during various activities can be determined by measuring their oxygen use, because the digestive process is basically one of oxidizing food.