Biochemistry Flashcards
What is glycogenolysis?
The breakdown of glycogen to form glucose. It is accomplished by phosphorylis.
What is the main storage form of glucose in the liver and muscle cells?
Glycogen
When is liver glycogen broken down?
In between meals
What is liver glycogen released to maintain?
Blood glucose levels for red blood cells and the brain
What type of glycogen can only be consumed within the muscle cells?
Muscle glycogen
Where can muscle cells not release glycogen into?
The blood stream
What provides energy via glycolysis and the TCA cycle during bursts of physical activity?
Muscle glycogen
What does glycogenolysis fluctuate depending upon?
Meal times
What is the name of the pathway which generates new glucose from non-carbohydrate precursors?
Gluconeogenesis
What is the primary source of glucose overnight when hepatic glycogen is depleted?
Gluconeogenesis
What is a polymer consisting of single glucose molecules linked together to form chains?
Glycogen
What are glycogen molecules joined by?
An alpha 1-4 glycosidic link.
What are the branches of glycogen introduced by?
Alpha 1-6- glycosidic link.
How are new molecules added, and old molecules cleaved off from glycogen?
Free glucose joins onot the ends and glucose molecules are cleaved off the ends
What can glucose residues only be added to?
An existing glycogen chain.
What protein is found in the centre of glycogen?
Glycogenin
What substance has a catalytic activity which adds small number of glucose molecules to itself?
Glycogenin
What is the enzyme which synthesises glycogen?
Glycogensythase
What is a glycogen primer containing at least 4 glucose residues covalantly attached to?
Glycogenin
What has to first happen to glucose before it can be used for any further metabolic pathways?
It has to be phosphorylated
What is glucose phosphorylated to?
Glucose-6-phosphate
What, in the initial pathway of glycogen synthesis, traps the glucose in the cell?
Phosphorylation of glucose to glucose-6-phosphate
Once glucose has been trapped in the cell, by phosphorylation of glucose to glucose-6-phosphate - what two choices does the cell have?
If cell needs energy it can breakdown glucose-6-phosphate in glycolysis, however if plenty of glucose is present then glucose-6-phosphate can be used for the synthesis of glycogen.
Once it has been decided that glucose-6-phosphate will synthesise glycogen, what is the initial step?
Glucose-6-phosphate has to be converted to glucose-1-phosphate