What do cells use absorbed nutrients for?

Energy Production:

- Nutrients like glucose are broken down through cellular respiration to release energy in the form of ATP molecules, which are used as the primary energy currency for cellular processes.

Building and Repairing Cell Structures:

- Nutrients are essential for the synthesis of various cell components. For example, proteins are built from amino acids, lipids from fatty acids, and carbohydrates from sugars.

Growth and Reproduction:

- During cell growth and reproduction, nutrients are used as building blocks for new cellular components and for the synthesis of DNA and RNA, which are essential for cell division and genetic information transfer.

Production of Enzymes and Hormones

- Nutrients serve as precursors for the production of enzymes, which catalyse biochemical reactions in the cell, and hormones, which regulate various physiological processes.

Maintenance of Redox Balance:

- Nutrients help in maintaining cellular redox balance by acting as reducing agents or coenzymes in biochemical reactions.

Storage:

- Some nutrients are stored in the cell as reserve energy sources (such as glycogen or lipid droplets) for later use.