Carbon Atom POV (in the body)By LouLou

* The path of a carbon atom in a glucose molecule from the time of entering your body in a dry biscuit to moving to a body cell and being burnt in the respiration that occurs there and then in waste carbon dioxide that is then breathed out. *

Ello ha, my names Callie. I’ll finally be waiting for my life long journey that includes me travelling through the amazing human body. It will be a great experience and now why don’t you join me in the adventure.

This is me!!!This is my dream adventure, going through the body!!!

So I’m a carbon atom and I was once made into a tasty biscuit also known as a carbohydrate food. I’m very close to my other 5 fellow carbon friends but it is really crowded with the other 12 hydrogen friends and 6 oxygen buddies.

Yes, we are proudly known as the glucose molecule. We are the nutrient that gives the body its energy. You know that thing that makes you feel active and hyper. Yes that’s us.

This is me!!!

The human suddenly grabbed suddenly grabbed us and he took a bite using his incisors. Well I better say farewell to the some of the other glucose molecules as we don’t know when we’ll meet again. “Guys listen up. It’s great staying with you but I have to get going now.”

I could see his molars inching towards me and the other fellows. Look how big they are, they look really painful but oh wow. Eew, spinach. Ahh, the pain of being crunched. Ahh, salivary amylase. It’s so wet and slick. I wonder when this will be all over.

These are the teeth that nearly killed me!!!

Okay, now let’s not remind me of the teeth. So now i have been split into a very big glucose molecule but were not one yet. It looks like there will only be 24 of us from now on. I believe we are now travelling in the esophagus. Its peristalsis action is tickling me. I suppose, haha, that I will have to endure this for about 4 seconds.

Me!!!!

Me again!!!

Wow, this is the stomach. Oo, hydrochloric acid, I don’t like the look of that. Ahhhh, plop. Hey, it doesn’t hurt so badly. It’s really bumpy in here, oh look over there. The proteins are breaking apart. This is interesting. Let’s take a look around, the stomach has a lot of mucky things all over it. I suppose that is what mucus is. You know, I seriously getting bored. But you know, I am slowly making my way down the stomach.

I’m in here guys!!!! And I am getting bored!!!!

Look at all that mucus!!

Finally, squirt, squirt. Oo I feel some fizzling going on. My guess is that I have just met my friend the pancreas. Ahh, so it’s not only me feeling the fizzling, everyone else is too.

Oo look, oxygen atom number 25 has just broke apart and left. Lucky him!! Wow, I just realized that we lost more atoms that I thought because it looks like we are actually one normal glucose atom.

I should be around here!!

Can you believe I’m somewhere here after just a few hours of being in the body!!!

Look at that, it looks like I’m going to go on a rollercoaster ride. This must be the small intestine! Why does it seem like it will go on forever. Let’s go, woo this is fun. Hmm, I feel like I’m sinking. Oh now I get this, these fingers things are called villi and I have to go through it. Okay.

I am here!!

Now here!! These are the villi!!!

Woosh, wow, everything is so busy. It’s like rush hour over here. I have never seen anyone this busy. Oh hoho, I just realized that we’re also travelling. It looks like we have to find an empty cell entrance to provide the energy. This is exhilarating. I have never felt this thrill before!

I’m in there!! It’s so amazing!!

Oo, I see a clear entrance to a cell in the hand. “Guys, this way!!” Yaahhh, my ears are killing me. The cell is so noisy. Okay, since we are a glucose molecule we need to find the mitochondria to store the energy. But where would it be. Oh there it is. Let’s go give off our energy and then I have to stick with the two oxygen atoms.

Mitochondria (cell)where I gave off my energy.

My two oxygen buddies!!

My guess is that I am now a carbon dioxide molecule and I have to leave the cell. Through the wall I go. Now I need to get into the blood stream but first I need to be dissolved by the plasma. This way I can be carried away with the blood. I feel really different right now. Less energy but still I’m fine.

CO2(It’s us)

The only way I can get to the lungs is going through the heart. So this is the Vena Cava vein that I need to past. While I’m passing, I notice that I am also going into the right atrium. Oof, looks like I’ve landed in the right ventricle but it seems like I’m not stopping here. Boom, ba, boom. Okay, this rhythm was interesting at first but now it’s annoying. Hmm, at the moment I’m in the pulmonary arteries.

Pulmonary arteries!! (Me)

Now I’m at the lungs. I guess this is where I have to go another path from the oxygen molecules. Right now I am moving through the capillaries, it’s a lot smaller than the veins but sure, this can work. So now I’m moving through the alveoli.

I feel sad. My dream is over so soon. Oh right, you have no idea why. Well, I’m near the end of the bronchioles and going to the bronchi. Okay, now I’m in the trachea. It is really bumpy and has a lot of rings.

The rings in the trachea I was telling you about!!!

As I am going through the epiglottis which means when I finish passing through, I’ll be back at the mouth and yeah, you get my point. Ahhhhhhhh.

Guys, thanks for joining me on this adventure, I won’t be able to stay as I’m going into the atmosphere with the other carbon atoms. My mom would be proud of me. Now I’m off to my next adventure and hopefully I’ll be going through the tree.

I’m being breathed out!!

Hope You learned something from my experience!!!

See Ya Everyone!!!!!! ;D

Can you still see me??? Okay BYE!!!