The Biochemistry of Movement > 9.7.2. Carbohydrates are an important part of an athlete’s diet > Glucose as a Monomer >
Identify glucose as the monomer that forms the polymer glycogen and describe the process of bond formation between the glucose molecules that produces the polymer
- Glycogen is a polymer of glucose. It can consist of up to 12,000 glucose units connected to each other.
- The covalent bonds formed between glucose molecules to make glycogen are called glycoside bonds. These bonds are formed during condensation reactions between glucose molecules.
- The branching structure of glycogen is critical to the metabolic process because the molecule is broken down from the ends first.
- Because glycogen has a structure with several branching ends, it is easy for the molecule to be broken down quickly.