Function
Glycogen is a branching polymer of large numbers of glucose units linked together. The structure is based on chains of glucose units with α(1→4) glycosidic bonds between carbon atoms 1 and 4 of each pair of units. These linkages are catalyzed by the enzyme glycogen synthase.
Every 10 to 14 glucose units, a side branch with an additional chain of glucose units occurs. The side chain attaches at carbon atom 6 of a glucose unit, and the linkage is termed an α(1→6) glycosidic bond. This connection is catalyzed by a branching enzyme. A branching enzyme attaches a string of seven glucose units to the sixth carbon of a glucose unit, usually in an interior location of the glycogen molecule.
Read more about this topic: Glycogen Branching Enzyme
Famous quotes containing the word function:
“It is the function of vice to keep virtue within reasonable bounds.”
—Samuel Butler (1835–1902)
“It is not the function of our Government to keep the citizen from falling into error; it is the function of the citizen to keep the Government from falling into error.”
—Robert H. [Houghwout] Jackson (1892–1954)
“The fact remains that the human being in early childhood learns to consider one or the other aspect of bodily function as evil, shameful, or unsafe. There is not a culture which does not use a combination of these devils to develop, by way of counterpoint, its own style of faith, pride, certainty, and initiative.”
—Erik H. Erikson (1904–1994)