Glucose Assay Kit

Supplementary info

Activity summary

Glucose often referred to as blood sugar is a simple sugar and an essential carbohydrate in biology. It has a molecular mass of 180.16 g/mol and is highly soluble in water. Glucose circulates in the bloodstream and is absorbed by tissues mainly liver muscle and adipose tissue. It serves as a critical energy source and cells use glucose uptake processes to transport glucose across their membranes. Various diagnostic tools and kits such as glucose assay kits and glucose test kits help measure glucose levels in biological samples.

Biological function summary

Glucose serves as the primary energy substrate for cells providing energy through glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation. It is not part of any protein complexes but it interacts with numerous enzymes and proteins to regulate metabolic processes. Glucose operates in maintaining homeostasis and the brain relies on it almost exclusively for energy. Glucose assay reagents and glucose detection kits are utilized to quantify glucose concentrations in research studies examining these functions.

Pathways

Glucose is a central component in glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. In glycolysis glucose is broken down into pyruvate generating ATP and NADH in the process. This pathway involves key regulatory proteins such as hexokinase and phosphofructokinase. In the TCA cycle glucose metabolites further produce ATP and CO2 involving enzymes like citrate synthase. Glucose uptake assays provide insights into how these pathways operate under various physiological conditions.

Associated diseases and disorders

Glucose regulation and metabolism are tightly linked to diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome. Diabetes mellitus is characterized by impaired glucose uptake and insulin regulation often involving insulin receptor pathways. Persistent high glucose levels lead to complications such as neuropathy and retinopathy. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays an important role in metabolic syndrome by affecting glucose uptake and energy balance. Understanding glucose's role in these diseases is central to devising therapeutic strategies and interventions.