glycogenolysis

Term: glycogenolysis

Literally meaning: “ dissolution og glycogen”

Origin: Greek

γλυκαγόνο/glycagοno(=glycogen) >γλυκός/glycos(=sweet) as glycose, an older term for glucose

+λύσις/lysis(=dissolution, degradation > verb λύω/leo =break up, solve, loose, degradate)

Coined/History

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Glycogen is the storage form of carbohydrate for virtually every organism from yeast to primates and for mammalian tissues the major depots located in muscle and liver. The term of glycogen was coined in the 1850s by French physiologist Claude Bernard (1813 –1878) who also defined the term “milieu intérieur” (homeostasis). In 1855 he coined the term ‘matière glycogene’ — sugar-making material. Bernard believed that glycogen is formed by proteins. In 1903 Grude proved that carbohydrates form glycogen in the artificially perfused liver and later in numerous experiments on rabbits Barrenscheen obtained formation of glycogen in the isolated liver by 2% solution of glycose. Additionally, in 1909 de Meyer proved that pancreas is necessary for glycogen formation in the liver. Elias and Elias and Komb (1913) observed for first time that small amounts of acids per os as well as by transfusion of the liver cused glycogenolysis.

Definition

Glycogenolysis is the catabolic pathway concerning convertion of polysaccharide glycogen to glucose monomers that take place in the muscle and liver tissues, where glycogen is stored, as a hormonal response to epinephrine and/or glucagon triggered by low blood glycose.