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3.4.1.2.Basic metabolic pathways
The basic metabolic pathways that process the major products of digestion: The nature of the diet sets the basic pattern of metabolism in the tissues. Mammals such as humans need to process the absorbed products of digestion of dietary carbohydrate, lipid, and protein. These are mainly glucose, fatty acids and glycerol, and amino acids, respectively. In ruminants (and to a lesser extent other herbivores), cellulose in the diet is digested by symbiotic microorganisms to lower fatty acids (acetic, propionic, butyric), and tissue metabolism in these animal is adapted to utilize lower fatty acids as major substrates. All these products of digestion are processed by their respective metabolic pathways to a common product, acetyl-CoA, which is then completely oxidized by the citric acid cycle (Fig 4.1).
Fig3.4.1.2.1 Basic metabolic pathways that process the major products of digestion |