Final answer:
A single glycogen molecule can contain up to 1 million glucose monomers. Glycogen serves as an energy storage polysaccharide with a highly branched structure of glucose units, allowing for rapid release of glucose when needed for energy in the body.
Step-by-step explanation:
A single glycogen molecule can contain up to 1 million glucose monomers. This fact highlights its role as an efficient energy storage polysaccharide.
Glycogen consists of glucose units primarily linked by α-1,4-glycosidic bonds, with branches formed through α-1,6-glycosidic bonds approximately every 10 to 15 glucose units. The branching increases the solubility of glycogen in water and facilitates quick release of glucose when it's needed for energy. This structure differs from starch, which has two components: amylose (unbranched) and amylopectin (less branched than glycogen).
Within the human body, glycogen primarily serves to store glucose in liver and muscle cells. When the body requires energy, enzymes such as phosphorylase break down glycogen into glucose-1-phosphate (G1P), which is then converted into glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) for entry into glycolysis and subsequent ATP production.