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The answer to this question is extraordinarily involved, but I will try to answer it briefly. Food is eaten and broken down by physical and chemical processes into its most basic components - carbohydrates, proteins (and amino acids), and lipids. These molecules are used as building blocks and energy sources. The primary method of energy production utilized by cells is an aerobic process known as the Krebs cycle or the citric acid cycle. In this process, which itself is incredibly involved, glucose is broken down into pyruvic acid, which in turn is used in the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and NADH. Both of these molecules contain high amounts of potential energy in the form of electrons. When ATP is used, the electron is stripped off and kinetic energy is released and used. ADP and a phosphate group are the resultant molecules, and they are 'recycled' to produce more ATP. NADH feeds its electrons into the Electron Transfer Chain in the mitochondria, producing very large amounts of ATP to be used in other cellular processes.

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10y ago

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