16.4 Diabetes and its control

Question 1

What is diabetes

Answer 1

Disease where person can’t metabolise carbohydrate properly

Two forms
Type 1 and type 2

Question 2

What is type 1 diabetes

Answer 2

• Insulin dependent: It is due to the body being unable to produce insulin.
  May be the result of an autoimmune response where the body’s immune system attacks the beta cells of islets of Langerhans

Begins in childhood

Question 3

What is type 2 diabetes

Answer 3

• Insulin independent: Due to glycoprotein receptors on body cells being lost or losing their reponsiveness to insulin.

Common in older people, can be caused by obesity and poor diet

Question 4

How is type 1 diabetes controlled

Why can’t you take oral medication

Answer 4

• Inject insulin a few times a day
• If insulin was given by mouth, it is a protein so would be digested
• You have to match amount of insulin put in with the amount of sugar eaten or else blood sugar drops and can lead to unconsciousness

Question 5

How is type 2 diabetes controlled

Answer 5

• Regulating the intake of carbohydrate in the diet and exercising a lot more
• Injections or drugs can stimulate insulin production or can slow down the rate the body absorbs glucose from intestine