Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 11, 2025

Determination of Glucan Chain Length Distribution of Glycogen Using the Fluorophore-Assisted Carbohydrate Electrophoresis FACE Method
Published on: March 31, 2022
Molecular structural insights into starch and glycogen: Impact on health
1Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/ Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
Abstract:
Starch and glycogen, as the primary reservoirs of energy in most living organisms, play a pivotal role in regulating metabolic processes and maintaining health. The molecular structure of these polysaccharides is a major determinant of their impact on the metabolism and overall health of the organism. This review discusses the effects of the molecular structures of starch and glycogen on human health, and provides an analysis of their structural levels, extraction methods, structural characterization techniques, mathematical models of structure, and the implications of their molecular structures for health. It offers insights into the similarities and differences between the molecular structures of starch and glycogen, and examines the role these structures play in pathological conditions. Furthermore, it presents a perspective on how the relationship between the fine structure of these biopolymers and health could lead to new findings in the biosynthesis-structure-property relations for these polymers and their impact on human well-being.
Related Concept Videos
Chemistry of Carbohydrates
Overview of Carbohydrate Metabolism
Glucose transport into cells is facilitated by a family of transport proteins called GLUT (Glucose Transporters). GLUT4 is the primary glucose transporter for insulin-stimulated glucose...
Introduction to Carbohydrates
Sugars as Energy Storage Molecules
Biosynthesis of Polysaccharides
Protein Glycosylation
Glycosylation occurs in...

