Question

A high school girl who is self-conscious about her appearance has been fasting for several days to fit into a dress she intentionally bought a size too small for a school dance. Which of her organs/tissues is producing the glucose that is being synthesized through gluconeogenesis?

Answer 1

Answer: The liver

Explanation:

Gluconeogenesis is a process by which glucose molecules are produced de Novo (from non carbohydrates precursors such as lactate, glycogenic amino acids, and glycerol).

Only the liver can replenish blood glucose through glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis.

During prolonged fasting or starvation the protein catabolism is speeded up to provide precursors (glucogenic amino acids) for gluconeogenesis.

Gluconeogenesis occurs mainly in the liver because one of the key enzyme glucose-6-phosphatase needed for glucose synthesis is only present in the liver.