In a PET scan a patient is injected with radioactively labeled glucose.Cancer cells are often in a hypoxic environment,why would this lead to an increase in glucose uptake?
A)More energy is produced from glucose in hypoxic conditions.
B)They rely more on glycolysis which is less efficient than oxidative phosphorylation.
C)They rely more on oxidative phosphorylation which is less efficient than glycolysis.
D)Enzymes function more efficiently in the absence of oxygen.
E)Because they require more oxygen to metabolize glucosE.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Cancer cells are often in a hypoxic environment because they outgrow their blood supply and have low oxygen levels. This leads to an increase in glucose uptake as they rely more on glycolysis, which is less efficient than oxidative phosphorylation, to meet their energy needs. Glycolysis only produces 2 ATP molecules per glucose molecule, while oxidative phosphorylation produces 36-38 ATP molecules per glucose molecule. However, cancer cells have a high demand for energy and glycolysis allows them to produce ATP quickly even in low oxygen conditions. This is known as the Warburg effect. Therefore, cancer cells take up more glucose to fuel their energy needs.

In a PET Scan a Patient Is Injected with Radioactively