Knowra Food energy Food energy Food energy is chemical energy stored in nutrients that organisms release through digestion and metabolism. It is commonly quantified in kilocalories or kilojoules.
Cellular respiration : The process by which cells extract energy from molecules, often using oxygen, and produce ATP. It captures energy from food molecules in a form cells can use.
Carbohydrate : A class of sugars, starches, and related compounds that provide energy and other functions in organisms. Digestible carbohydrates are a major source of food energy.
Food energy conversion factors : Numerical factors used to estimate energy supplied by amounts of protein, fat, carbohydrate, and alcohol. These factors convert nutrient quantities into reported food-energy values.
Bomb calorimetry : A laboratory method that measures heat released by burning a sample in a sealed oxygen-filled chamber. It measures gross combustion energy, which can differ from usable energy in the body.
Digestion : The mechanical and chemical breakdown of food into molecules that can be absorbed. Digestion makes energy-containing nutrients available for absorption and metabolism.
Dietary fat : Fat present in food, composed mainly of triglycerides and serving as a concentrated energy source. Fat contains more energy per gram than carbohydrate or protein.
Food labeling : The presentation of nutrition and ingredient information on packaged foods. Energy values on labels help compare foods and plan diets.
Metabolizable energy : Dietary energy remaining after subtracting energy lost in feces, urine, and combustible gases. It more closely represents energy available to an organism than gross food energy.
Adenosine triphosphate : A molecule that transfers energy for cellular processes through the reversible addition or removal of phosphate groups. Metabolism transfers some energy from food into this immediately usable cellular currency.
Protein : A nutrient made of amino acids that builds and maintains tissues and can also supply energy. Protein can be metabolized for energy, though it also serves structural and functional roles.
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