Final answer:
The Cori Cycle refers to the process where muscle glycogen is converted to lactate, then taken to the liver to resynthesize into glucose, and sent back to the muscles. This cycle plays a critical role in maintaining blood glucose levels during periods of fasting or low carbohydrate intake.
Step-by-step explanation:
The traffic between skeletal muscles and the liver in the generation of new glucose is called the Cori Cycle. The cycle involves the conversion of muscle glycogen to lactate during strenuous activity which is then transported in the blood to the liver. The liver then converts the lactate back to glucose, which can either be stored as glycogen or sent back to the muscles to be used as energy.
Gluconeogenesis is the process of creating new glucose molecules, primarily occurring in the liver, from substrates such as pyruvate, lactate, and certain amino acids. Alternatively, glycolysis is the breakdown of glucose to form ATP, the energy currency of cells. The Cori Cycle efficiently connects these two processes, recycling lactate produced by muscles into new glucose in the liver, which can then be used once more by muscle tissue or other cells.