Question

BIOCHEMISTRY: How does liver restore the level of glucose for active muscles?

Answer 1

During absorption and digestion, the carbohydrates in the food you eat are reduced to their simplest form, glucose.Excess glucose is then removed from the blood, with the majority of it being converted into glycogen, the storage form of glucose, by the liver’s hepatic cells via a process called glycogenesis.The hepatic cells reconvert their glycogen stores into glucose, and continually release them into the blood until levels approach normal range.However, when blood glucose levels fall during a long fast, the body’s glycogen stores dwindle and additional sources of blood sugar are required.To help make up this shortfall, the liver, along with the kidneys, uses amino acids, lactic acid and glycerol to produce glucose.This process is known as gluconeogenesis.