As blood glucose levels decline long after a meal (6 hours and beyond), almost every organ in the body switches to fatty acids as its major energy source. However the ________ continues to burn glucose.
As blood glucose levels decline long after a meal (6 hours and beyond), almost every organ in the body switches to fatty acids as its major energy source. However the ________ continues to burn glucose.
liver |
spleen |
pancreas |
brain |
Answer is 'brain'. Brain is the organ that keeps utilizing glucose in the post absorptive state. Brain does not utilize fatty acids as energy source because fatty acids affect the membrane potential of neurons and functioning of mitochondria. They also require huge amount of oxygen for their oxidation and generation of energy. The neurons cannot afford to lose such an amount of oxygen, since they themselves need the oxygen. On the other hand, glucose requires lesser oxygen (comparatively) for its oxidation.
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