I very much appreciate you were doing an ELI5 answer for this, so forgive my if I’m dissecting this too closely.
When you deplete your short term energy stores, the body converts fat molecules within fat cells into sugar, then shuttles those through the body in the blood stream.
Your body uses up all sugar in the blood (glucose), then exhausts short term energy stores including Glycogen in your muscles and liver next. At that point (given enough time and no re-introduction of glucose from eating), doesn’t your body go into Ketosis? So your liver would be taking fat from your body and converting it to Ketones to power your brain and body. I didn’t think Ketones were a sugar.
Alternatively, if you don’t burn through all your body’s glucose, your body can use some glucose and some fat to produce energy when operating with enough oxygen (aerobic).
Do I have that right?
dependencyinjection@discuss.tchncs.de 6 months ago
Thanks.
I feel a little stupid now, as it’s obvious that it would die if it didn’t have a blood supply.
So when they’re transplanted they’re going to connect some blood vessels. I am not understanding how the cells are still able to know when to turn fat into glucose, but again I’ll assume it’s done through the blood with an enzyme or something.
I think you’ve answered the main question though showing it can use those stores. Much appreciated.
Beryl@lemmy.world 6 months ago
When fat is used, it’s usually not turned into glucose, but rather into fatty acids, that can then be used by the mitochondria to power the cells. The signaling that triggers this is in fact done by a bunch of hormones that do indeed circulate in the blood to reach the cells specialized in storing fat, called adipocytes.
Depending of what triggers the transformation of fat into fatty acids( a process called lipolysis), those hormones could be insulin, epinephrin, growth hormone, etc.
captainjaneway@lemmy.world 6 months ago
What about ketosis? Are ketones a legit way to remove fat?
Lemminary@lemmy.world 6 months ago
Yes, ketone bodies are the result of the beta-oxydation of triglycerides. It’s the way the body breaks down fat into molecules that it can either burn or tranform into other molecules like sugar. The Atkins and ketogenic diets are legit, but it can be risky and you can harm your body (like your kidneys) without professional guidance.