47. Energy balance and the control of metabolic rate
47. Energy balance and the control of metabolic rate
- Gillian Pocock, Gillian PocockSenior Lecturer in Clinical Science, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, UK
- Christopher D. RichardsChristopher D. RichardsEmeritus Professor of Experimental Physiology, Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Life Sciences, University College London, London, UK
- and David A. RichardsDavid A. RichardsAssociate Professor, Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, Husson University School of Pharmacy, Bangor, Maine, USA
Abstract
This chapter looks at energy balance and metabolic rate and the various factors that influence them. The scale of the chemical reactions of the body can be gauged by considering the fact that an average human being uses about 360 litres of oxygen each day to burn several hundred grams of carbohydrates and fats and generate about 7500 kJ of heat. The chapter details the chemical processes of the body which are responsible for generating the heat which make up the metabolism of the body. This may be divided into two categories: anabolic and catabolic. The chapter then discusses anabolic metabolism, which involves the synthesis of complex molecules from simpler ones. Catabolic metabolism involves the breaking down of large, complex molecules to smaller, simpler ones.
