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Glycogen (black granules) in spermatozoa of a flatworm; transmission electron microscopy, scale: 0.3 μm. Glycogen is a multibranched polysaccharide of glucose that serves as a form of energy storage in animals, [ 2] fungi, and bacteria. [ 3] It is the main storage form of glucose in the human body.
Liver cell glycogen can be converted to glucose and returned to the blood when insulin is low or absent; muscle cell glycogen is not returned to the blood because of a lack of enzymes. In fat cells, glucose is used to power reactions that synthesize some fat types and have other purposes. Glycogen is the body's "glucose energy storage ...
Glycogenesis. Glycogenesis is the process of glycogen synthesis, in which glucose molecules are added to chains of glycogen for storage. This process is activated during rest periods following the Cori cycle, in the liver, and also activated by insulin in response to high glucose levels. [ 1]
Carbohydrate metabolism is the whole of the biochemical processes responsible for the metabolic formation, breakdown, and interconversion of carbohydrates in living organisms . Carbohydrates are central to many essential metabolic pathways. [ 1] Plants synthesize carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water through photosynthesis, allowing them ...
Insulin is a peptide hormone containing two chains cross-linked by disulfide bridges. Insulin ( / ˈɪn.sjʊ.lɪn /, [ 5][ 6] from Latin insula, 'island') is a peptide hormone produced by beta cells of the pancreatic islets encoded in humans by the insulin ( INS) gene. It is the main anabolic hormone of the body. [ 7]
Glucagon. Glucagon is a peptide hormone, produced by alpha cells of the pancreas. It raises the concentration of glucose and fatty acids in the bloodstream and is considered to be the main catabolic hormone of the body. [ 1] It is also used as a medication to treat a number of health conditions. Its effect is opposite to that of insulin, which ...
Glycogenolysis takes place in the cells of the muscle and liver tissues in response to hormonal and neural signals. In particular, glycogenolysis plays an important role in the fight-or-flight response and the regulation of glucose levels in the blood. In myocytes (muscle cells), glycogen degradation serves to provide an immediate source of ...
Monosaccharides are the simplest units of carbohydrates and the simplest form of sugar. If the carbonyl is at position 1 (that is, n or m is zero), the molecule begins with a formyl group H (C=O)− and is technically an aldehyde. In that case, the compound is termed an aldose. Otherwise, the molecule has a ketone group, a carbonyl − (C=O)− ...