I am studying Bachelors of Science in Biotechnology and my Molecular Biology lecturer asked me the question "Why is Glucose not stored in the body, but Glycogen is stored?"
I couldn't answer her question in class...so i came home and "googled" and ofcourse i found the answer!
Glucose is a ready source of energy, since its carbon atoms are easily oxidised to form carbon dioxide, releasing energy in the process ( so we now know why is glucose instant energy provider). Due to the numerous OH groups in glucose it readily hydrogen-bonds with water molecues, making it highly soluble in water. This allows easy transportation within the biological systems.
If large amount of glucose was to remain in blood, the osmotic balance between the blood and the cell fluids would be disrupted and the cells would be damaged. However this does not occur, since the glucose does not remain in the bloodstream, but its converted into Glycogen in the liver. Glycogen is suitable for storage because it is insoluble and cannot pass through cell membranes.
When glucose sugar is phosphorylated on carbon 6 we get glucose 6-Phosphate. its two major metaboilc pathways are:
If the blood sugar levels are high, the body needs a way to store the excess glucose. After being converted to G6P, an isomerase ( phosphoglucose mutase) can turn the molecule into glucose 1 phosphate. G1P can be combined with Uridine TriPhosphate (UTP) to form UDP-glucose, This reaction is driven by the hydrolysis of pyrophosphate that is released in the reaction. Now, the activated UDP-glucose can add to a growing glycogen molecue with the help of glycogen synthase. This is a very efficient storage mechanism for glucose as it requires only 1 ATP to store the 1 glucose molecule and virtually no energy to remove it from storage.
Note that G6P is an allosteric activator of glycogen synthase, which makes sense because when the level of glucose is high the body should store the excess glucose as glycogen. On the other hand, glycogen synthase is inhibited when it is phosphorylated by protein kinase during times of high stress or low blood glucose levels.
And when energy is needed by the body..glycogen is broken down into glucose and used up.
I hope this explanation was enough! you can also visit these sites for more information.
http://www.brianmac.co.UK/nutrit.htm
http://www.carbs-information.com/glucose-energy.htm
I hope this will help you!!
Thankyou!
Amukta!!
It is stored in the form of glycogen.
The primary and most easily utilized source of energy for your body is glucose, which comes from carbohydrates in your diet. Glucose is the main fuel for your cells, providing energy for various bodily functions and activities.
Responsible for the breaking down of maltose into glucose. This enzyme is found in plants, bacteria, and yeast.The glucose produced is either utilized by the body or stored in the liver as glycogen.
The liver plays a key role in providing instant energy by releasing stored glucose into the bloodstream when needed. This glucose can be quickly utilized by the body to meet energy demands.
The monosaccharides important in nutrition are glucose, fructose, and galactose. These carbohydrates are important as they are the simplest form of sugar that can be easily absorbed and utilized by the body for energy.
When you eat corn starch, it gets broken down in your body into glucose, which is a type of sugar. This glucose can then be used by your body for energy.
The main source of energy for the body comes from glucose, which is derived from carbohydrates in the diet. Glucose is utilized by cells for various functions and is the primary fuel for metabolic processes in the body.
Renal threshold is what happens when there is an overabundance of glucose in the body, the blood glucose levels will then get above 170mg/100ml (normal is 70mg/100ml).
Photosynthesis is to produce glucose. This glucose is utilized by respiration
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Three turns of the Calvin Cycle are required to produce a G3P molecule that can be utilized in the synthesis of glucose.