Royal Institution Christmas Lectures

Back from the Brink, the Science of Survival: Completely Stuffed (2007x2)

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Tonight’s lecture examines how food is processed and used by our cells. The food we eat contains the fuel we need to power our bodies. But what are these fuels? How do we get them from our dinner plates to our cells? And what other things are there in the food apart from fuel? Dr Montgomery explains what happens to the fuel and oxygen in a cell, describing how food is converted into an energy currency to be spent in different ways around the body. As well as focusing on normal function of the body, the lecture also explores how the body reacts to abnormal levels of food intake. What effect does gluttony have on the body? What happens when we are starved of food, or deprived of water? What happens when we become dehydrated? How long can someone survive without any fluids? And what happens if we miss some key bits of food out of our diet? Finally, Dr Montgomery turns his attention to people who have survived on the edge of existence as he meets some real-life castaways. How did their bodies cope without access to food or water for so long?