glycogen

American  

[glahy-kuh-juhn, -jen] / ˈglaɪ kə dʒən, -ˌdʒɛn /

noun

Biochemistry.

1. a white, tasteless polysaccharide, (C 6 H 10 O5 ) n , molecularly similar to starch, constituting the principal carbohydrate storage material in animals and occurring chiefly in the liver, in muscle, and in fungi and yeasts.

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glycogen British  

/ -dʒɛn, ˈɡlaɪkəʊdʒən, ˌɡlaɪkəʊˈdʒɛnɪk /

noun

1. Also called: animal starch.  a polysaccharide consisting of glucose units: the form in which carbohydrate is stored in the liver and muscles in man and animals. It can easily be hydrolysed to glucose

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glycogen Scientific  

/ glī′kə-jən /

1. A polysaccharide stored in animal liver and muscle cells that is easily converted to glucose to meet metabolic energy requirements. Most of the carbohydrate energy stored in animal cells is in the form of glycogen.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• glycogenic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of glycogen

First recorded in 1855–60; glyco- + -gen

Compare meaning

How does glycogen compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• glycogen vs. glucose
• cellulose vs. glycogen

Example Sentences

Glycogen is the animal equivalent of starch and is a highly branched molecule usually stored in liver and muscle cells.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Figure 7.18 Glycogen from the liver and muscles, hydrolyzed into glucose-1-phosphate, together with fats and proteins, can feed into the catabolic pathways for carbohydrates.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Glycogen is made and stored in both liver and muscle.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Glycogen can be rapidly converted to glucose when more energy is necessary.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

Dextrin, Glycogen and Cellulose are substances more complex in character than the above-mentioned groups.

From Dietetics for Nurses by Proudfit, Fairfax T.

Related Words

• cellulose
• glucose
• lactose
• starch
• sugar