Which organ is identified as having the necessary enzymes for gluconeogenesis in the material?

Which organ is identified as having the necessary enzymes for gluconeogenesis in the material?

• A. Stomach
• B. Brain
• C. Kidney
• D. Small intestine

Answer: (C)

Gluconeogenesis relies on a full set of gluconeogenic enzymes to convert non-carbohydrate substrates into glucose. The kidney, particularly in the renal cortex, expresses these enzymes and can produce and release glucose into the bloodstream, especially during prolonged fasting or energy stress. It provides a complementary source of glucose after the liver, using substrates like lactate, glycerol, and glucogenic amino acids, with enzymes such as phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and glucose-6-phosphatase enabling the final steps to glucose. Stomach does not contain the complete machinery for gluconeogenesis. The brain primarily uses glucose and lacks the enzyme systems to synthesize it de novo. The small intestine has some metabolic capabilities, but the robust, physiologically significant gluconeogenic activity is attributed to the kidney, which is why it’s identified as having the necessary enzymes.

Gluconeogenesis relies on a full set of gluconeogenic enzymes to convert non-carbohydrate substrates into glucose. The kidney, particularly in the renal cortex, expresses these enzymes and can produce and release glucose into the bloodstream, especially during prolonged fasting or energy stress. It provides a complementary source of glucose after the liver, using substrates like lactate, glycerol, and glucogenic amino acids, with enzymes such as phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and glucose-6-phosphatase enabling the final steps to glucose.

Stomach does not contain the complete machinery for gluconeogenesis. The brain primarily uses glucose and lacks the enzyme systems to synthesize it de novo. The small intestine has some metabolic capabilities, but the robust, physiologically significant gluconeogenic activity is attributed to the kidney, which is why it’s identified as having the necessary enzymes.