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Chapter 22: Q4CP (page 781)

Explain why the high KM of glucokinase is important for the role of the liver in buffering blood glucose.

Short Answer

Expert verified

High KMof glucokinase is important for the role of the liver in buffering blood glucose because it has less affinity for glucose.

Step by step solution

01

Liver as metabolic clean house

Liver act as the metabolic clean house of the body as it performs the following functions:

  • It maintains adequate circulating fuel levels used by the brain, muscles, and other tissues.
  • It absorbs all the nutrients from the intestine except fats.
02

Higher KM  of glucokinase

Liver act as a blood glucose bufferby taking up andreleasing glucose in response to hormones and to the concentration of glucoseitself which is catalyzed byglucokinase(also known ashexokinase IV) that obeys Michaelis–Menten kinetics have a high glucose affinity (KM< 0.1 mM), but glucokinase has a much lower glucose affinity that reaches half-maximal velocity at ∼five mM); therefore, high KMglucokinase is important for the role of the liver in buffering blood glucose.

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