Glycogen
Glycogen is a polysaccharide that is the principal storage form of glucose in animal cells.
Glycogen is found in the form of granules in the cytosol in many cell types, and plays an important role in the glucose cycle. Glycogen forms an energy reserve that can be quickly mobilized to meet a sudden need for glucose, but one that is less compact than the energy reserves of triglycerides. Only the glycogen stored in the liver can be made accessible to other organs.
Glycogen Media
Schematic two-dimensional cross-sectional view of glycogen: A core protein of glycogenin is surrounded by branches of glucose units. The entire globular granule may contain around 30,000 glucose units.
Glycogen (black granules) in spermatozoa of a flatworm; transmission electron microscopy, scale: 0.3 μm
α(1→4)-glycosidic linkages in the glycogen oligomer
α(1→4)-glycosidic and α(1→6)-glycosidic linkages in the glycogen oligomer
Action of glycogen phosphorylase on glycogen
Related pages
Other websites
- Glycogen detection using Periodic Acid Schiff Staining Archived 2007-01-27 at the Wayback Machine