What Does the Liver Do?
Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky
2. Converts Excess Glucose to Glycogen
After you eat carbohydrates, your body breaks them down into glucose, which then enters the bloodstream for use throughout the body. A hormone called insulin controls the amount of glucose in blood, with the excess being converted into glycogen by specialized liver cells in a process known as glycogenesis.
The resultant glycogen is stored in the liver and in muscles. Glycogen makes up as much as 10 percent of the weight of the liver. Glycogen can be broken down into glucose for production of energy in times of increased energy need or when glucose is in limited supply in the body.
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