glucose 6-phosphate, it cannot leak out of the cell. Similarly, glucose that enters the cell from the blood is "trapped" within the cell by conversion to glucose 6-phosphate. Skeletal muscles, which have large amounts of glycogen, can generate glucose 6-phosphate for their own glycolytic needs, but they cannot secrete glucose into the blood because they lack the ability to remove the phosphate group.

Unlike skeletal muscles, the liver contains an enzyme— known as glucose 6-phosphatase—that can remove the phosphate groups and produce free glucose (fig. 5.4). This free glucose can then be transported through the cell membrane. The liver, then, can secrete glucose into the blood, whereas skeletal muscles cannot. Liver glycogen can thus supply blood glucose for use by other organs, including exercising skeletal muscles that may have depleted much of their own stored glycogen during exercise.

Was this article helpful?

0 0
Essentials of Human Physiology

Essentials of Human Physiology


Get My Free Ebook


  • marcus
    Does skeletal muscle contain glucose6phosphate?
    8 years ago

Post a comment