Glycogen is a multi-branched polysaccharide of glucose that serves as a form of energy storage in animals and fungi. It is primarily stored in the liver and muscle tissues, where it can be rapidly mobilized to meet sudden energy demands.
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Glycogen is synthesized through glycogenesis and broken down through glycogenolysis.
Liver glycogen helps maintain blood glucose levels, while muscle glycogen provides energy during physical activity.
It is highly branched, which allows for rapid release of glucose when needed.
Insulin promotes the synthesis of glycogen, whereas glucagon and epinephrine stimulate its breakdown.
Glycogen storage diseases are a group of metabolic disorders that affect glycogen synthesis or breakdown.
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Related terms
Glucose: A simple sugar that serves as a primary source of energy for cells and is a building block for carbohydrates like glycogen
Glycogenesis: The biochemical process by which glucose molecules are added to chains of glycogen for storage
Glycogenolysis: The breakdown of glycogen into glucose-1-phosphate and then into glucose to provide immediate energy