Controlling blood glucose

Question 1

What else is blood glucose controlled by?

Answer 1

Homeostasis.

Question 2

What hormones are involved in homeostasis?

Answer 2

• Insulin.

- Glucagon.

Question 3

What do insulin and glucagon do?

Answer 3

They control the blood glucose level.

Question 4

What does eating foods containing carbohydrate do?

Answer 4

I puts glucose into the blood from the gut.

Question 5

How is glucose removed from the blood?

Answer 5

By the normal metabolism of cells.

Question 6

How else is glucose removed from the blood?

Answer 6

By vigorous exercise, which removes much more glucose from the blood.

Question 7

What must be kept steady in the blood?

Answer 7

Levels of blood glucose.

Question 8

How are changes in blood glucose monitored and controlled?

Answer 8

By the pancreas, using the hormones insulin and glucagon.

Question 9

What happens when the blood glucose level is too high?

Answer 9

Insulin is added.

Question 10

How does insulin control blood with too high glucose?

Answer 10

• Insulin is secreted by the pancreas.
• The blood still contains too much glucose, but insulin as well.
• Insulin goes into the liver.
• Glucose is removed from the blood by the liver.
• Insulin makes the liver turn glucose into glycogen.
• The blood glucose level is reduced.

Question 11

What happens when the blood glucose level is too low?

Answer 11

Glucagon is added.

Question 12

How does glucagon control blood with too little glucose?

Answer 12

• Glucagon is secreted by the pancreas.
• The blood still contains too little glucose, by glucagon as well.
• Glucagon goes into the liver.
• Glucagon makes the liver turn glycogen into glucose.
• Glucose is added to the blood by the liver.
• The blood glucose level is increased.

Question 13

What is type 1 diabetes?

Answer 13

A condition where the pancreas produces little or no insulin.

Question 14

What is the result of type 1 diabetes?

Answer 14

That a person’s blood glucose can rise to a level that can kill them.

Question 15

How is the problem of type 1 diabetes controlled?

Answer 15

• Limit the intake of foods rich in simple carbohydrates (sugars, which cause blood glucose levels to rise rapidly).
• Regular exercise (helps to lower the blood glucose level.
• Insulin therapy.

Question 16

What does insulin therapy for type 1 diabetes involve?

Answer 16

This usually involves injecting insulin into the blood several times throughout the day, usually at mealtimes.

Question 17

What does insulin therapy for type 1 diabetes do?

Answer 17

It makes sure that glucose is removed from the blood quickly once the food has been digested.

Question 18

What is insulin therapy for type 1 diabetes?

Answer 18

A very effective treatment, as it stops the level of blood glucose from getting too high.

Question 19

What does the amount of insulin during insulin therapy that needs to be injected for type 1 diabetes depend on?

Answer 19

The person’s diet and how active they are.

Question 20

Where did we used to get insulin for insulin therapy from?

Answer 20

It was extracted from pigs or cows.

Question 21

Where do we get insulin for insulin therapy from now?

Answer 21

Human insulin is made by genetic engineering.

Question 22

What is good about using human insulin over animal insulin in insulin therapy?

Answer 22

Human insulin doesn’t cause adverse reactions in patients, like animal insulin did.

Question 23

What is the disadvantage of insulin therapy?

Answer 23

Insulin injections can’t control a person’s blood glucose levels as accurately as a normal working pancreas, so they may still have long-term health problems.

Question 24

What can diabetics have instead of the methods of controlling blood glucose levels?

Answer 24

A pancreas transplant.

Question 25

Why is a pancreas transplant better than insulin therapy?

Answer 25

A successful operation means that they wont have to inject themselves with insulin again.

Question 26

What is the downside of having a pancreas transplant?

Answer 26

• Your body can reject the tissue.

- So you have to take expensive immunosuppresive drugs, which often have serious-side effects.

Question 27

What may limit organ rejection?

Answer 27

Modern research into artificial pancreases and stem cell research.