Biochemistry Flashcards
(159 cards)
What is glycogen?
Storage molecule for carbohydrates
What is glycogenesis?
Synthesis of glycogen from glucose
What is glycogenolysis?
Breakdown of glycogen to glucose
What enzyme controls glycogenesis?
Glycogen synthase
What enzyme controls glycogenolysis?
Glycogen phosphorylase
Where is glycogen the main storage molecule of glucose?
Liver and muscle cells
What is the same and what is the difference between glycogen in liver and muscle cells?
Same molecule- different function
When is glycogen broken down to glucose in the liver?
In between meals to maintain blood glucose levels for cells
When is glycogen from muscle cells used and how is glucose formed here?
During bursts of physical activity- through glycolysis and TCA cycle
What is gluconeogenesis?
Formation of glucose from non-carbohydrate precursors
When does gluconeogenesis occur?
When liver cannot produce glucose- prolonged starvation
What binds glucose molecules together to form glycogen?
Alpha 1,4 linkages
What are the branches of glycogen formed by?
Alpha 1, 6 linkages
What do alpha 1, 4 linkages form between?
1C carbon of a glucose and a 4C carbon of another
What do alpha 1, 6 linkages form between?
1C carbon of a glucose and a 6C carbon of another
What increases how fast glucose can be synthesised or broken down?
The more ends the molecule has
What is the protein at the centre of glycogen known as?
Glycogenin
What does glycogenin do?
Binds 4 glucose molecules to itself
What does glycogenin with glucose attached act as?
A precursor for glycogen production
What has to happen to glucose to make glycogen?
Phosphorylated
What is formed from the phosphorylation of glucose?
Glucose-6-phosphate
What enzyme catalyses the phosphorylation of glucose?
Hexokinase
What must happen to glucose-6-phosphate in order for it to form either glucose or glycogen?
Transformed to glucose-1-phosphate
What enzyme moves the phosphate in from C6 to C1?
Phosphoglucomutase