General Veterinary Biochemistry

GLYCOGEN

• It is the storage form of carbohydrate in animals. It is large, branched polysaccharides composed of glucose residues.
• Like amylopectin, glycogen  consists of α(1  4) linkage in addition to α(1  6) branches. Glycogen is highly branched, and more compact than starch. Molecular weight varies, which depends on sources. For every 8-12 glucose units there is a branch point.

 

• It is readily soluble in water and gives red colour with iodine.
• It is present in liver and also in muscle tissues of animals. During starvation, glycogen from the liver is broken down to glucose and is transported to blood for the use by other tissues.