Metabolism And Heterotrophic Energy Conversions

581 Words3 Pages
The Circle of Human Energy Conversion (Life) Metabolism consists of the chemical reactions that allow organisms to sustain life through processes that provide the organisms with energy. However, scientists only began to understand metabolism in the mid 1800s. Since then, scientists have made much progress in the fields of heterotrophic energy conversions and human energetics. When I think of energy percolating through the environment, I immediately think of a circle, such as a bicycle wheel: energy is constantly being turned or recycled, and is conserved. Energy begins at the sun, permeates the earth, then eventually is returned, which is similar to the human body how we eat food and the body converts food into energy. The rate at which metabolism occurs varies from person to person, but the circle of metabolic reactions never ends. This applies to everyone concerned with caloric intake for either weight loss or weight gain. As energy is taken into the human body in the form of food, the body quickly works to convert it to a form that can be used to fuel all the reactions necessary for life. The amount of energy that is expended daily is the basal metabolic rate and varies mildly between every individual. In particular, the average basal metabolic rate for an adult ranges between 1200 and 1800 kcal. Factors such as gender, age, genetics, and weight play a significant role in BMR. Therefore, consuming more calories than the body burns will cause a person to gain weight, and consuming fewer calories than the body typically burns will cause a person to lose weight. In order to lose one pound, a person must burn off 3500 calories more the body typically uses. So, if a person desires to lose about one pound per week, it is recommended that the person either burn an additional 500 calories per day, or eat 250 less calories and burn an additional 250 calories a day. The

More about Metabolism And Heterotrophic Energy Conversions

Open Document