Which metabolic pathway involves lactate produced by anaerobic glycolysis moving to the liver and being converted back to glucose?

Which metabolic pathway involves lactate produced by anaerobic glycolysis moving to the liver and being converted back to glucose?

• A. Krebs Cycle
• B. Electron Transport Chain
• C. Cori Cycle
• D. Gluconeogenesis

Answer: (C)

Lactate produced in muscles during anaerobic glycolysis is released into the bloodstream and travels to the liver, where it is converted back to glucose via gluconeogenesis. The overall process of lactate shuttling from muscle to liver and then returning as glucose is known as the Cori cycle. This is the best answer because it explicitly describes both the transport of lactate to the liver and its conversion back to glucose, tying together muscle anaerobic glycolysis and hepatic glucose production. The Krebs cycle and electron transport chain are aerobic energy pathways inside mitochondria and don’t describe this lactate-to-glucose recycling, while gluconeogenesis is the liver process to make glucose from non-carbohydrate sources but doesn’t by itself specify the lactate transport from muscle. The Cori cycle also highlights the energy cost of reconverting lactate to glucose, which explains why lactate builds up during high-intensity exercise.

Lactate produced in muscles during anaerobic glycolysis is released into the bloodstream and travels to the liver, where it is converted back to glucose via gluconeogenesis. The overall process of lactate shuttling from muscle to liver and then returning as glucose is known as the Cori cycle. This is the best answer because it explicitly describes both the transport of lactate to the liver and its conversion back to glucose, tying together muscle anaerobic glycolysis and hepatic glucose production. The Krebs cycle and electron transport chain are aerobic energy pathways inside mitochondria and don’t describe this lactate-to-glucose recycling, while gluconeogenesis is the liver process to make glucose from non-carbohydrate sources but doesn’t by itself specify the lactate transport from muscle. The Cori cycle also highlights the energy cost of reconverting lactate to glucose, which explains why lactate builds up during high-intensity exercise.