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| *Structure
| | See [[Glucagon]] |
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| Glucagon is a kind of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peptide_hormone peptide hormone ]with 29 amino acids in a linear structure. Glucagon is produced originally as a formation of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proglucagon proglucagon] in the [http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/type/pancreatic-cancer/about/the-pancreas pancreas], which is then converted to glucagon as a functional state in alpha cells of the islets. <ref name="1">R.Bowen (1999), Glucagon, http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/endocrine/pancreas/glucagon.html (last accessed 09.01.11)</ref>
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| *Function
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| The primary role of glucagon played in the body is increasing the blood glucose concentrations, which is the opposite function of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulin insulin], secreted from beta cells of the islets<ref name="1">R.Bowen (1999), Glucagon, http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/endocrine/pancreas/glucagon.html (last accessed 09.01.11)</ref>. To be specific, glucagon raises the blood sugar levels through the breakdown of the glycogen in the liver when the concentration of the blood glucose is low. This process is called [http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1540424/glycogenolysis glycogenolysis], which is decomposition of [http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/547glycogen.html glycogen] into glucose. <ref name="2">Berg J., Tymoczko J. and Stryer L. (2007) Biochemistry, 6th edition, New York: WH Freeman(p601-603).</ref> Another function of glucagon is activating [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluconeogenesis gluconeogenesis], which convert non-hexose, for instance, amino acids, to glucose also for increasing the blood sugar levels<ref name="3">Berg J., Tymoczko J. and Stryer L. (2007) Biochemistry, 6th edition, New York: WH Freeman(p770-771).</ref>.
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| *Disease
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| [http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/118899-overview Glucagonomas] is a result of excessive seglucagon excretion, which causes some harm effects,for example, skin lesions.<ref name="1">R.Bowen (1999), Glucagon, http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/endocrine/pancreas/glucagon.html (last accessed 09.01.11)</ref>
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Latest revision as of 06:16, 19 October 2015