What is the storage form of glucose in the body?

What is the storage form of glucose in the body?

• A. Glycogen
• B. Glucose-6-phosphate
• C. Starch
• D. Cellulose

Answer: (A)

Glucose is stored in the body as glycogen, a highly branched polymer of glucose stored mainly in the liver and skeletal muscle. The branched structure allows rapid synthesis and breakdown, providing a quick supply of glucose when energy is needed. In the liver, glycogen breakdown helps maintain blood glucose during fasting by releasing free glucose into the bloodstream. In muscle, glycogen provides local energy for contraction and is converted to glucose-6-phosphate for glycolysis, but cannot raise blood glucose because muscle lacks the enzyme to dephosphorylate G6P to free glucose. Glucose-6-phosphate is an intermediate in metabolism, not a storage form. In plants, starch stores glucose and cellulose serves a structural role, but these are not used for glucose storage in humans.

Glucose is stored in the body as glycogen, a highly branched polymer of glucose stored mainly in the liver and skeletal muscle. The branched structure allows rapid synthesis and breakdown, providing a quick supply of glucose when energy is needed. In the liver, glycogen breakdown helps maintain blood glucose during fasting by releasing free glucose into the bloodstream. In muscle, glycogen provides local energy for contraction and is converted to glucose-6-phosphate for glycolysis, but cannot raise blood glucose because muscle lacks the enzyme to dephosphorylate G6P to free glucose. Glucose-6-phosphate is an intermediate in metabolism, not a storage form. In plants, starch stores glucose and cellulose serves a structural role, but these are not used for glucose storage in humans.