How do low-carb diets work? We store glucose molecules in our muscles and liver as glycogen, which consists of thousands of glucose molecules linked together. During periods of fasting, we can activate glycogen to provide glucose.
(b) Individuals who do not eat carbohydrates do not store the same levels of glycogen as people who do. Explain the weight loss associated with storing less glycogen.

Question

How do low-carb diets work? We store glucose molecules in our muscles and liver as glycogen, which consists of thousands of glucose molecules linked together. During periods of fasting, we can activate glycogen to provide glucose.

(a) Determine which of the following reactions below would be a condensation and which would be a hydrolysis.

(b) Individuals who do not eat carbohydrates do not store the same levels of glycogen as people who do. Explain the weight loss associated with storing less glycogen.

Accepted Answer

Hello and welcome back everybody. The next question says which glucose regulating hormone is responsible for signaling cells to uptake glucose. A insulin B, Glucagon, C Cortisol or D epinephrine. So one way to get to this answer is to think about the effect of getting cells to uptake glucose. Where are they taking this glucose from? And the answer is there the cells are getting the glucose from the bloodstream. So the cells reduce the amount of glucose circulating around in the body. So this lowers the blood glucose. So if something goes wrong with this hormone, the blood glucose levels will be too high since the body is missing its ability to lower blood glucose. And what is the hormone that should pop to mind right away when we think about a disorder that would cause blood sugars to be too high. And that would be choice. A insulin and insulin is indeed the hormone that signals cells to take up glucose from the blood. All of our other answer choices are hormones that have the result of raising blood glucose. So choice B Glucagon is the hormone that signals the liver to begin to break down glycogen and reduce or excuse me, release glucose into the bloodstream. So it's sort of the corresponding opposite hormone to insulin and then choice C cortisol and the epinephrine. If you think of the fact that cortisol is the stress hormone, epinephrine is also known as adrenaline. These are things that get released when you're under stress or you know, afraid or need to do something, you know, to fight danger or run away from danger. So the body is going to pump glucose out into the bloodstream to provide lots and lots of energy for these activities. So indeed, both of these hormones raise the level of glucose circulating in the blood cortisol does this by promoting gluconeogenesis, that process by which the body is manufacturing glucose from pyruvate rather than breaking down glucose. Minho D epinephrine both promotes gluco genesis and it also produces glycogenolysis or the breakdown of glycogen and release of glucose. So it's not the answer we're looking for either. So once again, the glucose regulating hormone responsible for signaling cells to uptake glucose is choice a insulin. See you in the next video.

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Key Concepts

Glycogen Storage

Low-Carb Diet Mechanism

Weight Loss and Glycogen