How would you explain the connection between glucose entering the body and energy created by the body to a friend, using your new biochemistry knowledge?

Glucose
(wikipedia)

To create energy, glucose enters the body and a phosphate attaches to the glucose molecule. This attachment in turn creates glucose-6-phophate. During this step there is a loss of energy because the phosphate that attaches comes from ATP and is converted into ADP. From here, the glucose-6-phosphate rearranges into fructose-6-phosphate and yet another phosphate attaches, causing energy loss, yielding fructose 1, 6-diphosphate. 

The new product then splits into two separate molecules, dihydroxyacetone phosphate and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate. Dihydroxyacetone phosphate rearranges into its isomer form glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (so now there are two of the same molecules). The two glyceradehyde 3-phosphates molecules then create two 1, 3-bisphosphoglycerate molecules which each lose a phosphate. This yields two 3-phosphoglycerate molecules which will create 2 molecules of ATP (net of 0 ATP created). 

Glycolysis
(wikipedia)

At this point, these molecules will rearrange into two molecules of 2-phosphoglycerate then water loss will occur and they will become phosphoenolpyruvic acid molecules. They will each lose a phosphate which in turn creates 2 ATPs. The phosphoenolpyruvic acid molecules will either become Acetyl CoA, lactic acid, or ethanol and carbon dioxide. When it turns into the Acetyl CoA, the new molecules enter the Krebs Cycle where a significant amount of energy is created because they lose phosphate groups resulting in ATPs. This ATP is then stored in the muscles of the body.

What knowledge have you connected with past knowledge?

            This past class I presented on protein synthesis and how it is involved in making memories. I had originally chosen this article because it reminded me a lot of the course work I’ve had in many of my psychology classes. In fact, I chose psychology as a second major, after biology, due to so many connections I’ve seen between the two. I had learned a lot in the past about the structure and function of neurons in the brain but this was the first time I had ever learned of  their connection to CREB in memory. Using both my previous knowledge on this material combined with the new information presented in this article I was able to more fully grasp the process of both short-term and long-term memory making.

            The topics that we have been recently covering in class including prokaryote/eukaryote replication, transcription, and then translation are all things I have seen throughout multiple science courses here at UNHM and even in my earlier education. I have found that each time I learn them I get a better grasp on the subject and the fact that each teacher approaches them differently allows for me to see these concepts and understand them in new ways.