Glucose is the major form in which dietary sugars are made available to cells of the human body. Its breakdown is a major source of energy for all cells, and is essential for the brain and red blood cells. Glucose utilization begins with its uptake by cells and conversion to glucose 6-phosphate, which cannot traverse the cell membrane. Fates open to cytosolic glucose 6-phosphate include glycolysis to yield pyruvate, glycogen synthesis, and the pentose phosphate pathway. In some tissues, notably the liver and kidney, glucose 6-phosphate can be synthesized from pyruvate by the pathway of gluconeogenesis.
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