Final answer:
The liver is responsible for converting lactate from muscle to a fuel for other tissues through the Cori cycle. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) enables this conversion within the liver. This process is crucial for energy regulation and highlights the liver's role in maintaining energy homeostasis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The tissue that converts lactate from muscle to a fuel for other tissues is the liver, which plays a central role in the Cori cycle. During periods of intense exercise when oxygen is scarce, muscle cells perform anaerobic glycolysis, leading to the production of lactate. The liver then takes up lactate from the bloodstream and converts it back to glucose via gluconeogenesis. This glucose can then be utilized by muscles and other tissues as a source of energy.
Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is a crucial enzyme that facilitates the conversion of pyruvate to lactate, and vice versa, which is a significant part of anaerobic glycolysis happening in various cells including muscle tissue and liver. Notably, fatty acids, pyruvate, lactate, and alanine from muscle cells are transported to the liver for glucose synthesis, rather than being used directly for energy in the Krebs cycle.
The Cori's cycle is vital for energy regulation during periods of low oxygen availability, ensuring that muscle cells have a continuous supply of glucose. This cycle exemplifies the well-coordinated interplay between muscle tissue and the liver in maintaining energy homeostasis.