Starvation their normal body weight. Once the loss reaches 40% death is almost inevitable. Under normal metabolic conditions, the human body relies on free blood glucose as its primary energy source. The level of blood sugar is tightly regulated; as blood glucose is consumed, the pancreas releases glucagon, a hormone that stimulates the liver to convert stored glycogen into glucose. The glycogen stores are ordinarily replenished after every meal, but if the store is depleted before it can be replenished, the body enters hypoglycemia, and begins the starvation response. After the exhaustion of the glycogen reserve, and for the next 2–3
Glycogen phosphorylase presences of AMP. Glycogen phosphorylase Glycogen phosphorylase is one of the phosphorylase enzymes (). Glycogen phosphorylase catalyzes the rate-limiting step in glycogenolysis in animals by releasing glucose-1-phosphate from the terminal alpha-1,4-glycosidic bond. Glycogen phosphorylase is also studied as a model protein regulated by both reversible phosphorylation and allosteric effects. Glycogen phosphorylase breaks up glycogen into glucose subunits (see also figure below): (α-1,4 glycogen chain) + Pi ⇌ (α-1,4 glycogen chain) + α-D-glucose-1-phosphate. Glycogen is left with one fewer glucose molecule, and the free glucose molecule is in the form of glucose-1-phosphate. In order to be used for metabolism, it must