if Calories are an energy mesure (a concept) how is it stored by the body , especially if the macromolecules are going to be digested and rearranged ?

Question

if Calories are an energy mesure (a concept) how is it stored by the body , especially if the macromolecules are going to be digested and rearranged ?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Your body tries *really* hard not to turn calories into heat unless it has to. While the energy is *measured* as a quantity of heat energy, mostly your body will turn it into movement or chemical potential energy in the form of making substances the body needs.

ATP, Adenosine Triphosphate acts as the energy transfer medium. When converted to ADP + Pi, Adenosine Diphosphate plus a phosphate group, energy is released. Parts of the cell that use ATP in this way tend to use it directly to perform a function, rather than turning the energy into heat first. The “energy* is stored in the potential for ATP to convert to ADP+Pi (chemical potential energy).

Some heat is produced as waste energy, and in WA blooded animals some may also be turned into heat on purpose to maintain body temperature.