Biochemistry · Molecule
Glycogen !
Glycogen is the body's glucose store: a highly branched polymer kept in liver and muscle.
Updated 2026-11-01
Loading the 3D model…
Key facts
- Glucose chains with α-1,4 bonds and α-1,6 branches every 8–12 residues, around a primer protein, glycogenin.
- Liver: up to about 10 % of its weight, for blood glucose. Muscle: 1–2 % of its weight but more in total, for its own use only.
- The many branches give many non-reducing ends: it is built and broken down quickly.
- Formula
- (C₆H₁₀O₅)ₙ
- PubChem
- CID 439177
Structure
- The 3D model (PubChem 439177) is a four-glucose fragment showing both bond types; the real molecule has up to tens of thousands of glucose units.
- It is more branched than plant starch amylopectin.
Clinical notes
- Glycogen storage diseases are inherited defects of its synthesis or breakdown; the amount or shape of glycogen is altered in liver, muscle or both.
- PAS staining shows it in liver or muscle biopsy.
Pathways
Related conditions
- Von Gierke disease (glycogen storage disease type I)
- Pompe disease (glycogen storage disease type II)
- Cori disease (glycogen storage disease type III)
- Andersen disease (glycogen storage disease type IV)
- McArdle disease (glycogen storage disease type V)
- Hers disease (glycogen storage disease type VI)
Related
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Which bonds does glycogen contain?
α-1,4 in the chains and α-1,6 at the branch points.
Why is it useful for glycogen to be so branched?
Each branch is an end where enzymes work at once: glucose is stored and released quickly.
Which protein starts each glycogen molecule?
Glycogenin, which attaches the first glucose units to itself.
Molecules are shown in their neutral form, as the databases deposit them; in the cell the acids and phosphates are ionised.
Educational information, not medical advice. For any symptom, see a health professional.
Sources: Glycogen (CID 439177) (PubChem, NCBI, 2026) · Public domain; Glycogen synthesis (Reactome, 2026); Textbook of Biochemistry for Medical Students, 6th ed. (Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (Vasudevan DM, Sreekumari S, Vaidyanathan K), 2011).
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.