What monosaccharides make up glycogen?

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Answer 1 · 2015-06-27T15:49:47

Only one monosaccharide makes up glycogen, and that is glucose.

The structure of glucose, #"C"_6"H"_12"O"_6#, is

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Glycogen is a chain of glucose subunits held together by 1→4-glycoside bonds, but it is a highly branched structure.

Every 8 to 10 glucose units, branches are joined by 1→6-glycoside bonds.

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We could write the equation for the formation of glycogen as

#underbrace(n"C"_6"H"_12"O"_6)_color(red)("glucose") → underbrace(("C"_6"H"_10"O"_5)_n)_color(red)("glycogen") + n"H"_2"O"#