Glucose

## General Information (from wikipedia)

 Molecular Weight (g/mol) Density (g/L) Radius (m) Reference Species Glucose 180.16 1540 R [1]

Glucose (Glc), a monosaccharide (or simple sugar), is an important carbohydrate in biology. The cell uses it as a source of energy and metabolic intermediate. Glucose is one of the main products of photosynthesis and starts cellular respiration in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

Two isomers of the aldohexose sugars are known as glucose, only one of which (D-glucose) is biologically active. This form (D-glucose) is often referred to as dextrose (dextrose monohydrate), especially in the food industry. This article deals with the D-form of glucose. The mirror-image of the molecule, L-glucose, cannot be used by cells.

Glucose is a ubiquitous fuel in biology. It is used as an energy source in most organisms, from bacteria to humans. Use of glucose may be by either aerobic or anaerobic respiration (fermentation). Carbohydrates are the human body's key source of energy, through aerobic respiration, providing approximately 4 kilocalories (17 kilojoules) of food energy per gram. Breakdown of carbohydrates (e.g. starch) yields mono- and disaccharides, most of which is glucose. Through glycolysis and later in the reactions of the Citric acid cycle (TCAC), glucose is oxidized to eventually form CO2 and water, yielding energy, mostly in the form of ATP. The insulin reaction, and other mechanisms, regulate the concentration of glucose in the blood. A high fasting blood sugar level is an indication of prediabetic and diabetic conditions.

## Diffusion of Glucose in water

• Alone at 25 degrees: $D = 670 \ \mu m^{2}s^{-1}$ [1]

## Diffusion of Glucose in cytoplasm

• Alone:
Bibliography
1. Longsworth, L. G. 1955. Diffusion in liquids and the Stokes-Einstein relation, p. 225-247. In T. Shedlovsky (ed.), Electrochemistry in biology and medicine. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, N.Y.