The experimenters fed the experimental animal only proteins and did not give him carbohydrates.

The experimenters fed the experimental animal only proteins and did not give him carbohydrates. After the death of the animal, animal starch-glycogen was found in its liver. Give an explanation for this phenomenon.

1) Proteins are broken down into amino acids as a result of digestion. Those, in turn, can be converted into a-keto acids as a result of transamination (rearrangement of the amino group).

2) a-keto acids are able to take part in gluconeogenesis, or the formation of glycogen. Therefore, in the liver of experimental animals, its reserve was present.

Glycogen is needed in case the body does not receive sugar from food for a long time. In this case, glycogen will begin to break down into glucose molecules, which are necessary for energy.