This Is How Your Body Turns Food Into Energy

Your body needs energy to do, well, everything. But where does that energy come from? In this episode, Patrick dives into how exactly mitochondria power the cell, how ATP works, and, alas, the Krebs cycle. Buckle up!
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While we need energy to help us move our bodies and do everyday work, our cells also need energy to move their little bodies, manufacture new proteins, and make chemical reactions happen.
Our bodies have a few ways of turning reactants into products-namely extracting energy-rich molecules from the food we eat and turning it into energy.
Enter: a molecule called adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. While, like you might have guessed, adenosine triphosphate has three phosphates, it’s actually the bonds between them that we’re more interested in.
And that is because the chemical bonds that hold those phosphates together hold a lot of energy. When one of those phosphates is broken off, that ATP becomes ADP, or adenosine diphosphate plus one loner phosphate.
That transformation of ATP to ADP results in usable energy that our cells can use to power our biological processes.
So that begs the question - where does ATP come from and how exactly do we turn our food into usable energy? Find out more in this Human.
#energy #krebscycle #humanbody #health #physiology #seeker #science #humanseries
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Read More:
How Cells Obtain Energy from Food
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NB...
Cells require a constant supply of energy to generate and maintain the biological order that keeps them alive. This energy is derived from the chemical bond energy in food molecules, which thereby serve as fuel for cells.”
Mitochondria & ATP
hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/...
“The energy currency for the work that animals must do is the energy-rich molecule adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The ATP is produced in the mitochondria using energy stored in food.”
The Citric Acid Cycle
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NB...
“We now begin an exploration of the aerobic processing of glucose, which is the source of most of the ATP generated in metabolism. The aerobic processing of glucose starts with the complete oxidation of glucose derivatives to carbon dioxide.”
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This Seeker health miniseries will dive deep into the cellular structures, human systems, and overall anatomy that work together to keep our bodies going. Using the visual structure and quick pacing of Seeker’s Sick series, these human bio-focused episodes will give a new audience an inside look on what’s happening inside all of us.
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[@Seeker]

Hi Seekers, thanks for watching! For more Human, check out our playlist here: bit.ly/HUMANplaylist

[@tauceti8060]

Viruses are the only known organisms that don't need food and hence mitochondria and ATP

[@juancitoperez93]

*Heyyy* I just uploaded my physique transformation after 2 years of training! Please check it out! 💙🧠💪🏽💙

[@brentgreeff1115]

this guy is not very watchable

[@philipaguirri7209]

@@tauceti8060 p]]]

[@Sciencerely]

I'm a biomedical researcher just working with a mitochondrial protein called IDH and I think that the complexity of metabolism is amazing! IDH is normally involved in the Krebs cycle but its product can also influence many other metabolic pathways. Specific mutations in IDH are also frequently found in different cancer types. The reason is that mutated IDH can lead to the production of a new, harmful molecule which messes up a lot of proteins and represses genes which would normally protect against cancer (I would love to make a video about that mechanism one day). After so many years of research, mitochondria still show fascinating new sites!

[@furbelox5821]

Life Lab Learner I‘m a med student and that is really interesting! Thank you for sharing 👍 What country are you from?

[@samhaines8228]

Please do make a video- would like to know more!

[@Dk-gn7up]

That's cool what you do for living.

[@kevbrand8824]

@@Dk-gn7up believe they are a biomechanical researcher

[@orange_tweleve]

🤓🤓

[@yungxballer311]

Me watching this video trying too figure out how to turn energy into a Kamehameha !

[@happyrick-c1327]

Just scream hard bro

[@frodo4993]

"Wait! Don't click away yet!" instant shame as I'm already browsing other videos

[@jhay_vine5083]

lmao. why do i also feel guilty.

[@aitchpea6011]

3 minutes in and I'm lost. My old man brain isn't fit for this level of detail :-)

[@selihter]

😊i rewatched video to see if i could memorize some of the steps of these details of how it all works and i still don't remember 🤣🙉 i love just how complex and amazing the human being is 👏

[@CausticLemons7]

Fortunately you and I can watch this video more than once. Practice is how you get better at something and repetition is how you remember it. :)

[@ohtheblah]

Go watch the crash courses on biochemistry and organic chemistry lol

[@airplayn]

Watching these is like getting my biology and chemistry degree all over again. Except way back in the 70's we really didn't know as much. Yes, we knew about the Krebs Cycle and metabolism but it's hard to believe that just 40 years ago we didn't even know about something as basic as a "Golgi Body". We were told it's a body that is found stringed along the endoplasmic reticulum and first seen by Golgi, hence the name. That was ALL WE KNEW! Now there are entire books written about the protean synthesis metabolism that takes place in Golgi Bodies. And I love that I never have to stop learning.

[@theshuman100]

me eating spaghetti: ah yes *hydrated carbon*

[@galfisk]

Ah yes, carbonated water. Wait...

[@ethanellecabigon7911]

Ah yes *food*

[@scj1668]

Me 2

[@cassandrarobinson8283]

Spaghetti 🍝 Takes all the energy outta me & turn all my air into disparity 😂

[@kellenknipp955]

@@cassandrarobinson8283 was that a fart joke?

[@FaxPiss]

I love when you guys explain these processes in depth. I think a lot of people would benefit from a sketch which shows the splitting, recombining and introduction of molecules saw can form a better pictures of what's going on with the molecules to better "see" the bigger picture.

[@praveent2738]

4:18 the real kerbs cycle 😂 you learn and forgot and you learn and forgot ..... Goes on

[@saritamishra7799]

😂👍🏻

[@spiralect]

3:50 enzymes increase the net energy by reducing the activation energy needed to start the necessary chemical reactions (endergonic reactions are reactions that that require energy to happen)

[@robertidonotsharemyfullnam496]

2:06 anyone else being reminded of chubby emu by the explanation of the word ?

[@unclekanethetiberiummain1994]

"chubby" meaning overwieght but not quite fat and "emu" meaning a species of large land-dwelling bird.

[@robertidonotsharemyfullnam496]

@@unclekanethetiberiummain1994 a man commented on youtube. this is what happened to his brain!

[@robertidonotsharemyfullnam496]

@@unclekanethetiberiummain1994 i disagree.. chubby imho means not skinny and not fat but on the fatter side, but not overweight or unhealthy.

[@ski.7]

Love seeker right!? ❤️

[@Ice.muffin]

Wow the explaining is top! Honestly, an excellent teacher, detailing enough to understand the matter, but not overwhelmingly much, repeating things already said numerous times to help memorise and understand the topic, patience, calm in voice and the impression of joy in teaching, couldn't ask for a better teaching method to me.

[@AlexandruJalea]

I love this detailed video. Keep making more like this. "Simpler" vids are only dumbing us down.

[@sdfkjgh]

When I was in college, I asked one of my biology professors what ATP tasted like, and what would happen if you ate some. He was flabbergasted by the questions, going from "Well of course, you'd need a lot of it before you could even taste it" to "I don't actually know" to "Huh. Because items ingested do go through a chemical change in the gut due to stomach acids and such" to "I really don't know. I'm gonna hafta get back to you on that one." While I never did get any answers to those questions from him, I did learn that I could still surprise an educator. Do any of you out there have an answer to my questions? @Life Lab Learner, I'm looking at you...

[@jamesbaxterfirst]

I asked my ap chem teacher the same question back in high school

[@Minus124Celsius]

He was probably just shocked because 1g of ATP is about 50$

[@sdfkjgh]

@@Minus124Celsius: This happened over a decade ago. Do you have the price of a gram of ATP from back then?

[@Dk-gn7up]

Great work guys! Loved the explanation and the animation. Keep educating!

[@tac4115]

Omg thank you so much for integrating these concepts ☹️🥺❣️ You're a big help!

[@caelan2960]

Awesome series love it.

[@tauceti8060]

ATP is indirectly needed for protein synthesis too as it enable amino acids to bind to TRNA using an enzyme which then go to the ribosome to make proteins.

[@yourfuturedocburenbeiya]

Love this, it is so interesting; thank you for the videos!

[@pranavgupta1416]

Information no one else gives. Love Seeker

[@NateCrownwell]

this is so cool, thank you Patrick Kelly!

[@Lunarplex]

THis is my new favourite science show on KZbin! Bravo!

[@ericbourque6389]

Great video thanks! I specifically asked for this :)

[@bjornheidemann2783]

Thanks for the content!

[@coolbionicle]

8:30 So that's why loosing weight is so damn hard. Yo really have to consume a heck of a lot more energy than what we usually do even when exercising.

[@mausegetlit363]

Cut out carbs. Lose weight healthily and fast. That's the conclusion I've come to in the past year. Went from 250 to 160, and mentally I've never felt better!

[@dXon_cic]

First you body doesn't really want much fat cause it has to use more energy for it's maintenance . Second make sure you are well hydrated before you start exercising . I dont wanna make it long explanation if you want me to explain I'll do it

[@mausegetlit363]

@@dXon_cic false. The body in absence of carbs uses fat for energy, and is actually much more efficient at converting fat to energy than carbs

[@cageybee7221]

@@mausegetlit363 don't cut carbs completely, reduce greatly but keep in mind that is still a vital nutrient you need some of. reduce refined sugar as much as possible and cut down as much as possible on fatty foods, cut and boil the fat out of meats, drain grease, avoid junk, etc.

[@mausegetlit363]

@@cageybee7221 absolutely don't cut out the fat in meat, especially from ruminate animals that eat grass, like cows. It's a widely believed misconception that the body "needs" carbs, this is just completely false. The body makes it's own carbs from protein in a process called gluco-neo-genesis, or new sugar making. The human body has no need to take in sugars or carbs, thats a myth based on the profits of the food industry. The human digestive system is Taylor made to eat the fat and protein of animals that can actually process the nutrients (and anti-nutrients) in plant food, something our bodies are not very good at.

[@hannahdivic28]

Thank you this video came in perfect timing for a quick recap for my test

[@elinacheng4890]

Thank you so much, you explained so much on all the topics I needed to know I really appreciate it!

[@earthlabsheals]

When you talk about a fat molecule holding 2.5x the amount of energy as a glucose does that also mean that it takes that much more time or effort to get rid of it that molecule in the body?

[@livingcolours7401]

Great video.Thanks

[@TherealSakuraKei]

You answered my question♡♡♡ Thank you!!!! Wonderful channel, wonderful graphics, great speaker. Nice to meet you guys. ☆☆☆☆☆ Thanks for the wonderful content.

[@TheOneVictor]

I love these videos. No toning down science, it's great.

[@imroztowhid1284]

wish i had biology teacher like you back in days at school

[@MrVblecic]

Excellent! Thank you. Namaste

[@morkovija]

Intense knowledge drops right here, thank you!

[@Golgafrincham]

Any chance of an explaination of how ketones gets made and used in the body when you don't eat carbs?

[@alexforce9]

I think that in a healthy body the only time when we do make ketones is when we dont have carbs. (or we already have used them). And thats why its so bad to mix fats with carbs - coz we use the carbs and store the fats. And why ketosis have such a bad rep - coz if you have high ketones and high glucose at the same time - you are fucked.

[@Golgafrincham]

@@alexforce9 I don't agree that Ketosis have a bad rep, it is something a lot of people are actively trying to reach (including people that have "cured" diabetes type II). I feel a lot better during Ketosis than I do otherwise. There is basically no reason to eat carbs at all, the body will produce enough glucouse from other sources and keep most of the body running on ketones instead of glucouse. If you don't eat carbs, you keep your glucouse levels low, so that problem with high glucouse and ketones won't occur.

[@jasonvanr1971]

@@Golgafrincham Ketone are made from lipid break down in times where cells don't have access to glucose and result in a whole bunch of free fatty acids which start to cross react and form a molecule called Fatty AcylCarnite which breaks down into 3 types of Ketone bodies. These being Acetone (a carcinogen), Beta Hydroxybutyric acid and acetoacetic acid. This is bad when it goes on for a long time like in type 1 diabetes melitus which causes a state known as a "Hyperosmolar Ketoacidotic State" which causes blood to become acidic. This has a horrid effect on your kidneys as their tubules can't function normally by absorbing and secreting waste/electrolytes. It also affects blood vessels and your breathing becomes super heavy and deep

[@Golgafrincham]

​@@jasonvanr1971 There is no doubt Ketoacidosis is bad, but it is very rare and unlikely if you don't have Diabetes type I. I am aware that there are a very limited amount of studies of the long term effects of Ketosis, but as far as I know there are no studies that can say it is bad for you. I have myself been ketogenic state for a prolonged time and know many more people who have been for several years without any problems.

[@StayCoolKeto]

@@jasonvanr1971 lol did you copy this? I'm not sure if you know that your body can run on ketones and you dont need to consume any carbs at all , its a much better fuel source

[@asmaaftab1748]

I'm amazed very well memorised.It helps me alot 👌

[@TheTruthSeeker756]

Perfect background music. Upbeat to keep you awake😂. And not too loud so we can hear you well👍

[@bhavyajain638]

Love this series

[@Mlogan11]

I'll have to re-watch a few more time to let it all sink in.

[@westfield90]

So much respect for the brilliant scientists over the dozens of decades who figured all of this out without even being able to see any of it.

[@koroshiya_1]

Thank you so much for this video. There are many videos on this subject which are far too complex (and go over my head lol), but I got this! Cheers :)

[@forrestswanson3308]

Explained this a thousand times better than the textbook.

[@soundsqueerbutokay]

It's good to know that I'm not alone in forgetting Kreb Cycle. ❤

[@earthlabsheals]

When the phosphates brake off and transform do they spark or emit photonic energy during the process?

[@guytelfer1353]

Possible the starch is used cell expansion as a mechanism particularly in the corpus cavernosum, considering an expanding cell would be to big to enter the efferent vessel(capillary) leading away from cavernosum

[@user-gd5yt2gn6r]

Thank you very much. nice.

[@krittikaverma74]

Like your video. Please make something on nutrition functions.

[@tdanel]

Where were You when I was going to school ??? hehe Just love your show

[@gurpreetbajaj2468]

Awesome video, puts many things into perspective. Please make a video on how creatine fits in the picture. I'm sure millions of gym goers world over would like to know.

[@nielsrobben7205]

great vid like to see more like these

[@angeloschaloulis1394]

Really nice video about cycle of citric acid from a student who studies nutrition and dietetics, keep it up!! I'm waiting the next one about fat!! 👌

[@schoolchannel-cs6ne]

Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.

[@Fireraidz]

This guy and his thrill for science is so cute ❤

[@EricPham-gr8pg]

The reason food make human different is that it is cultural and spiritual what we eat affect us how we behave , think , and set goals

[@prateekdokwal2617]

It's so strange that these processes take place without us realizing, human bodies are really a mystery

[@poiesh]

Getting back memories from the biochemistry class back in the days...

[@soliver111]

Your presentation helped. I wanted to understand how stored fats created ATP. Thank you

[@prabinshah4031]

I have read this whole process in class 12 chapter respiration. So this video is short revision for me. Thanks seeker. ( i read in kreb cycle GTP is produced but not ATP)😁🇳🇵

[@merlinaldan7447]

Awsome Video

[@pratik.markad]

This video was a short time revision of chapter "respiration"!

[@Minus124Celsius]

Ngl this video feels like it’s going half speed after rewatching all my lectures at 2x speed for finals.

[@guytelfer1353]

Another excellent video, possible the enzymes break the covalent bonds? Off topic, could the sa and or av node be excretory, similar to a fuel injector? consider a gas injected through the av node into r. Atrium igniting and or combusting

[@DaBlondDude]

So are you going to be doing one that explains how enzymes work?

[@Souchirouu]

Now I'm curious, how does ketosis and fasting fit into this picture? I've done fasting and it's a really interesting experience to go from immense hunger and no energy in the first few days then having what seemed like limitless energy. In the the last 3 days of my 7 day fast I set record after record, setting the fastest time for my morning run to getting the most reps in my gym workout.

[@gonderage]

I second this. I used to fast but I can't anymore because of my parents. I've always been interested in the mechanism behind ketones and how humans are ketotic as infants, but we lose our ability to enter ketosis as quickly as we age.

[@wyattmiller4696]

Glukoneogenesis produces glucose from lactate inside your body. This pathway is only turned on when your body needs glucose and is low. There is all glucose stored inside your body. Your body will then break down the glucose stores so more is released into your body.

[@gonderage]

@@ChronicleContent i didnt mean "lose the ability", i meant that ketosis cant be attained as quickly. sorry for the misconstruing language

[@gonderage]

Elaborate on not difficult, it sounds too multfactorial to be explained so simply. What about hormones, like leptin, serotonin, grelin? What about the psychological effects that could be at play?

[@Zantagiro]

good presentation handsome!

[@jayabratabiswas01]

Kindly tell us in detail at quantum level how from ATP to muscle power is converted. I want to know the mechanism of power generation. 🙏🙏

[@noahway13]

1:55 CarboHydrate, Carbon is the Carbo C6H12O6, so is hydrate similar to water, since it looks like you could reduce down the H12 O6 and it would reduce down to H2O?

[@CreativeYousername]

I know this is about humans, but you should do an episode on photosynthesis. Similar process with some cool biochemistry!

[@soonkhengchoo6869]

I don't understand a thing, but I'm here for it

[@abhilashtu3653]

I love you guys

[@wasimjahagirdar7306]

My 1 year baby combined oxydative phasphoryle deficiancy disorder affected any treatment suggest please she body not produce mitocondria

[@skyrimax]

Could you do a video how we USE ATP? I wasn't able to find a good video on the subject

[@Tinky1rs]

muscle contraction vid below. Other things are protein phosphorylation, active transport and tRNA synthesis. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pmnMfK2NprqIaNU

[@amitkumbhar2850]

Where we actually require oxygen in all those process, i mean what its actual role or its just an electron acceptor ???

[@jameslherisson793]

Our bodies were truly designed

[@AngryKittens]

Mitochondria are the powerhouseness of the cell!

[@survivalkit1]

The brain doesn't only use glucose, it can run off of ketones aswell

[@zack7122]

ketones are the backup energy source, the brain greatly prefers glucose

[@samdell5593]

Ketones kick in when starving mode is activated, right?

[@vargasisking]

sam dell no

[@NodeusFlatcher]

So that makes sense for fast sugar and slow sugar. Like eating a sugar cube gives you energy for a shoret period of time and a banana gives you energy in a long period of time?

[@VariantAEC]

So I substituted sugar for vitamins and lost tons of ATP... Makes sense why I can't gain weight or keep my energy levels up during the morning, but have stable blood sugar the excess sugar isn't always used right away instead it is likely bound to other molecules making it inaccessible until it's needed.

[@viniciusnoyoutube]

Now please explain what is the energy of the ATP bound and how it is converted and use inside the cell.

[@Tinky1rs]

The energy is within the bond between the 2nd and 3rd phosphate on the ATP molecule. Broadly speaking you can transfer the phosphate group to some protein and that placement makes the protein change into its active conformation. A bit like pressing a spring but more sophisticated. ATP can be used (by kinases) to do this phosphorylation, changing their structure and turning them on/off. Examples: it can flip a Na+/K+ channel to restore the ion gradient in cells (active transport), it allows DNA gyrase to prevent supercoiled DNA as it is being read, ATP is used to lock and load the myosine head within muscle units. This times a lot contracts the muscle.

[@viniciusnoyoutube]

@@Tinky1rs Thanks for the explanation. So it is not heat or motion that those bound produce direct. They are basically chemical reaction with other proteins, correct?

[@Tinky1rs]

@@viniciusnoyoutube I'd say they affect the potential energy of the protein. The binding of ATP / the phosphorylation leads to a conformational change, which is a form of strain. When triggered with the fitting stimulus, stuff happens. Protein dynamics and enzyme catalysis is where you really see how proteins change shape to facilitate interactions/ chemical reactions.

[@CadPixel-why-not2455]

Wow so much happening inside us

[@ingemar_von_zweigbergk]

8:05 are you talking code about my praetorians?

[@altrag]

I'd still like to see something about how ATP is actually used. Every video and article I've found about these processes seem to consistently stop at "it releases energy." Sure, but what form of energy? How is that energy picked up and used by other molecules/processes? That kind of thing.

[@Tinky1rs]

Depends on the action. Broadly speaking you can transfer the phosphate group to some protein and that placement makes the protein change into its active conformation. A bit like pressing a spring but more sophisticated. ATP can be used (by kinases) to phosphorylate enzymes, changing their structure and turning them on/off. Examples: it can flip a Na+/K+ channel to restore the ion gradient in nerve cells (active transport), it allows DNA gyrase to prevent supercoiled DNA as it is being read, ATP is used to lock and load the myosine head within muscle units. This times a lot contracts the muscle. courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-biology2/chapter/atp-and-muscle-contraction/

[@muthuk]

Awesome 👌 🆒️

[@karlsaleh4157]

Can you make a video about ketosis and how the body creates energy from fat when there's no more glucose?

[@michaelconnaireoates5344]

So I take it because so little fat holds so much energy is why its so hard to work off because even though your getting tired the atp from that fat is still giving you alot of energy to not burn more off

[@paulwhiterabbit]

So breaking a phosphate from ATP produces energy? What part of cell uses it? How is it done by that part? All I know is that a cell needs energy to push molecules from low concentration to high concentration

[@Tinky1rs]

That's active transport. You can look up protein phosphorylation, how muscles contract (actine-myosine interaction) and how tRNA is synthesized.

[@JM-fr1by]

What is this gradient?

[@yourcommentmightnotworksop9987]

3:19 is the power house of the CELL

[@user-iq2wf2dh8y]

Keep up the work . I'm loving it🤓🙂

[@shivugowda3528]

This is how i get sugar rush when i eat sweets 😂

[@ayush_102]

Can't we break ATP to AMP(Adenosine mono phosphate) to release more energy

[@priyankapalchowdhury9366]

Does Glycolysis take place in any human body cell? Or is there any specific cells? Also, how does the glucose enter inside those cells? Like insulin helps the glucose to enter inside liver, muscle and fat cells.

[@manofgod7622]

I know glycolisis in muscle cells.

[@manofgod7622]

Glucose enters the cell when insulin is present in blood, because insulin tells cells to store glucose.

[@ogreycloud]

ok very nice, but how does the body use ATP to power itself?

[@balasubramanians7932]

Mitochondria is the powerhouse

[@matttyler5651]

Wait so whats respiration...??😥

[@narinostuiver642]

if I didn't already know how this situation happens, I would not have understand this video. The end needs way more simpler terms and visuals.

[@Po101080]

Once we've made ATP, how does the cell use the energy released from ATP -> ADP + P?

[@Tinky1rs]

Depends on the action. Broadly speaking you can transfer the phosphate group to some protein and that placement makes the protein change into its active conformation. A bit like pressing a spring but more sophisticated. ATP can be used (by kinases) to phosphorylate enzymes, changing their structure and turning them on/off. Examples: it can flip a Na+/K+ channel to restore the ion gradient in nerve cells (active transport), it allows DNA gyrase to prevent supercoiled DNA as it is being read, ATP is used to lock and load the myosine head within muscle units. This times a lot contracts the muscle. courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-biology2/chapter/atp-and-muscle-contraction/

[@Po101080]

@@Tinky1rs Thank you Errno!

[@spiralect]

@@Po101080 Your body uses it as fuel for endergonic reactions (reactions that require energy to happen) that need to take place in order to maintain homeostasis.

[@jerrdnn3373]

What is the song playing at the beginning at 2:00 plz

[@hrithikmishra3562]

Energy needs energy to be energy

[@mrksaccount123]

Kaneki Katharsis yes... law of thermodynamics