19
votes
Accepted
Why is the retention of ability to synthesize non essential amino acids of negative survival value?
It’s a very dubious argument in my opinion.
Whenever I see a question on this list arguing that higher organisms could save energy and DNA by such-and-such a hypothetical construct I want to scream. ...
- 26.3k
6
votes
Why is the retention of ability to synthesize non essential amino acids of negative survival value?
The passage is saying that if you get enough of a nutrient in your diet, you don't need to synthesize it.
If you don't need to synthesize a nutrient, you don't need to waste energy on the machinery to ...
- 46.5k
4
votes
Is it possible to live without iodine? (sea plants, seaweed or fish?)
Iodine is a component of the thyroid hormones, thyroxine and triiodothyronine, so it is indeed a human nutritional requirement.
According to this Harvard University webpage, milk (especially), eggs ...
- 26.3k
4
votes
Accepted
If protein is mostly used by the body for purposes other than extraction of energy, why are calories from protein relevant?
Preamble
I had not intended to answer this question as I felt it lacked the clarity required for this site. However I now think that it is necessary to correct the assertion that “protein has to be ...
- 26.3k
2
votes
Accepted
How is it known that there are only three macronutrients: proteins carbohydrates and lipids?
Summary
The question is based on the misconception that the term “macronutrient” originated as a scientific definition, to which entities satisfying this definition were assigned. In fact it was a ...
- 26.3k
2
votes
Searching for reference regarding the impact of famine on a woman's grandchildren
Here's an article in Science about the phenomenon:
https://www.science.org/content/article/moms-environment-during-pregnancy-can-affect-her-grandchildren
It references a variety of different studies, ...
- 46.5k
2
votes
Why is the retention of ability to synthesize non essential amino acids of negative survival value?
I don't see the cost of the synthetization machinery as relevant (in this case), either. There is selection pressure to turn off the production if it's not needed, since leaving it running would ...
- 151
1
vote
How does fat produce more energy than glucose while the amount of energy released by glucose is more than that of fat?
A triglyceride can produce 450 ATP compared to glucose's 32. Triglycerides win in energy production.
TL;DR
One pyruvate molecule ultimately produces 15 ATP. Glucose produces 32 pyruvate for a total of
...
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