glycogen
UK[ˈɡlaɪkəʊdʒən]US[ˈɡlaɪkoʊdʒən]
n
a substance in the body, especially in the liver and muscles, that stores carbohydrates and can be quickly converted into glucose for energy.
Morpheme Breakdown
glyc
o
gen
glyc
sweet
o
connective
gen
producer
Etymology
the word glycogen is a modern scientific compound formed from greek roots. the first element, 'glyc-', derives from 'glykys', meaning sweet, which historically referred to sugars. the connective 'o' is a standard vowel used in neoclassical compounds to aid pronunciation. the final element, '-gen', comes from the greek suffix '-genēs', meaning producer or that which produces. thus, the term literally means "sugar producer," which logically describes its physiological function: it is a polysaccharide produced from and broken down into glucose (sugar) for energy storage in animals and fungi.
Analysis
Structure: glyc (sweet) + o (connective) + gen (producer)
glyc is from greek 'glykys' meaning sweet, referring to sugar. o is a connecting vowel, typically of greek origin. gen is from greek '-genēs' meaning born of, produced from.
Examples
the liver stores excess glucose in the form of glycogen.
during intense exercise, muscles break down glycogen to release energy.
a deficiency in enzymes can lead to glycogen storage diseases.