Describe the steps involved in the breakdown of glycogen. How does this differ from the formation of glycogen from glucose?

Answer: Glycogenolysis is the breakdown of glycogen (polymers of glucose) to single glucose molecules (monomers)

Explanation: Epinephrine hormone is released by the brain when the need of blood glucose arises for its regulation as well as during fight or flight response to fuel the muscles. This hormone sends a feedback where glucose is stored in form of glycogen in the cell and it is broken down by phosphorolysis (cleavage of compounds by inorganic phosphate in 1,4 glycosidic linkages of glucose monomers) using enzyme phosphorylase to form glucose-1-phosphate, It is then further catalysed to glucose-5-phosphate by phosphoglucomutase enzyme, then mostly enters glycolysis to finally produce ATP and pyruvate i. e energy.

Glycogen storage is a negative feedback system that responds to the availability of insulin hormone secreted by the brain when there is too much glucose in the blood, whereas glucose production responds to epinephrine hormone. Glucose storage is anabolic, requiring alot of energy for glycogen production and glucose production from glycogen is a catabolic reaction resulting in alot of energy.