Question

Which of the given statements is incorrect about glycogen?
(a) It is a straight chain polymer similar to amylose.
(b) Only $\alpha$-linkages are present in the molecule
(c) it is present in animal cells
(d) It is present in some yeast and fungi

Answer 1

. Glycogen is a branched polysaccharide consisting of a large number of sugar molecules bonded together to one another and have glycosidic linkages and mostly occurs in the animal cells and the lower organisms. Now identify the correct statement.

Complete step by step answer:
Glycogen is a branched polysaccharide (i.e. which consists of large number of sugar molecules bonded together to each other) of glucose (i.e. the compound which consists of six carbon atoms and aldehyde group) i.e. it is branched polymer of glucose and is made up of about eight to twelve glucose molecules and is different in structure from amylose which is a linear molecule. It involves 1,4 glycosidic alpha linkages (the linkages between the sugar molecule and the other group are called the glycosidic linkages).
Glycogen acts as an energy reservoir i.e. it’s the source of energy in animals and lower organisms such as yeast, fungi, bacteria etc. Excess glucose present in the human body is converted into the glycogen and is stored in the liver cells and muscles in the humans.
Whenever the human body needs energy the glycogen present in the body breaks down and is converted back into the glucose molecule and the enzyme involved in the breakdown of glycogen to glucose molecule is glycogen phosphorylase.
Hence, from this it is clear that all the statements above mentioned are correct except the first one.
So, the correct answer is “Option A”.

Note: Amylose is a linear molecules having 1,4 glycosidic alpha linkages and it consists of about 20-25 percent of starch and is water -soluble i.e. soluble in water and is used in textile finishes, food wrappers, food gum etc.