GLYCOGEN SYNTHETASE Meaning and
Definition
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Glycogen synthetase is an enzyme that plays a crucial role in the process of glycogenesis, which is the synthesis of glycogen in living organisms. Glycogen is a polysaccharide stored in liver and muscle cells, serving as a readily available source of energy.
Glycogen synthetase is responsible for catalyzing the reaction that combines glucose molecules into chains, forming glycogen. It achieves this by adding glucose units sequentially to a growing glycogen chain, using a molecule called UDP-glucose as the source of glucose units.
The enzyme functions by anchoring itself to a glycogen particle, where it can access the required substrate and establish multiple points for glucose incorporation. In this process, a branch is occasionally formed by branching enzyme, resulting in a highly branched glycogen structure that allows for efficient storage and quick mobilization of glucose during times of energy demand.
The activity of glycogen synthetase is tightly regulated in response to various physiological factors and signaling molecules. Hormones such as insulin and glucagon are key regulators, controlling the enzyme's phosphorylation state and thus influencing its activity level. Phosphorylation typically activates or inhibits glycogen synthetase, acting as a switch to modulate glycogen synthesis and breakdown.
Overall, glycogen synthetase is a vital enzyme that facilitates the production of glycogen, playing a fundamental role in energy storage and metabolism within living organisms.
Common Misspellings for GLYCOGEN SYNTHETASE
- flycogen synthetase
- vlycogen synthetase
- blycogen synthetase
- hlycogen synthetase
- ylycogen synthetase
- tlycogen synthetase
- gkycogen synthetase
- gpycogen synthetase
- goycogen synthetase
- gltcogen synthetase
- glgcogen synthetase
- glhcogen synthetase
- glucogen synthetase
- gl7cogen synthetase
- gl6cogen synthetase
- glyxogen synthetase
- glyvogen synthetase
- glyfogen synthetase
- glydogen synthetase
- glycigen synthetase
Etymology of GLYCOGEN SYNTHETASE
The word "glycogen" comes from the Greek words "glykys" which means sweet and "gen" which means produce or generate. Thus, the term "glycogen" refers to the sugar-producing substance.
The word "synthetase" originates from the Greek word "synthesis", which means to combine or produce. In the case of enzymes, "-ase" is a suffix commonly used to denote an enzyme. Therefore, "synthetase" indicates an enzyme involved in the synthesis or production of a particular molecule.
Therefore, "glycogen synthetase" refers to an enzyme responsible for catalyzing the production or synthesis of glycogen, which is a complex carbohydrate used for energy storage in animals.
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