Expert: Walter Hintz - 10/25/2005

Question
How can the body sense when to convert glucose to glycogen and vice versa

Answer
This is an excellant question and tough to answer.  Basically we know that the body normally remains in a state of status quo or homeostasis.  Homeostasis requires feedback mechanisms and these mechanisms depend upon the presense of enzymes.  Conversion of compounds from one form to another are driven by enzymes. Changing glucose to glycogen requires a number of enzymatic reactions and one of the feedback mechanisms is called end product inhibition.  Suppose the body requires the storage x amount of glycogen. When that amount is reached any extra glycogen feed back inhibiting one of the enzymes in the chain of reactions stopping the conversion. When the glucose level increases the inhibition is lifted and more glycogen is produced.  Glycogen and glucose levels are also controlled by the hormones insulin and glucagon.
 A marvelous system.