Jesse_wolfstadt's Blog
Answer to Lab Team Challenge Question #10
Posted By: Jesse_Wolfstadt, Dr. Hawke on Friday, November 17, 2006
Greetings Polar Scientists!
Excellent work on the week #5 challenge question: Based on the physiology of muscle fibre types discussed in my last update, (Week #2 Report from the Lab Team), why would slow twitch muscle fibres have more intramuscular fat than fast twitch fibres? (See the Week #5 Report from the Lab Team below.)
There are three stages to cellular respiration, which is the process by which your cells make ATP: 1) Glycolysis, 2) Kreb's Cycle, and 3) Electron Transport Chain (ETC).
Slow twitch fibres rely heavily on the Kreb's Cycle and the ETC to produce ATP, and the primary source of fuel for the Kreb's Cycle is triglycerides (fat). Thus, it would be beneficial for slow twitch fibres to have a large amount of intramuscular fat to power the production of ATP.
On the other hand, fast twitch fibres rely on glycolytic pathways to produce ATP. This means that the fibres rely mainly on carbohydrates to make ATP, so they have a smaller amount of intramuscular fat.
Thanks to everyone who posted their answers, and keep up the great work!
Jesse Wolfstadt
Dr. Hawke Lab Team
York University
[ Back: Link to Word Jumble | Index | Next: Week 8 Report from the Lab Team ]