5.1.4 (e-f)

Question 1

Define diabetes mellitus

What are the two types?

Answer 1

Inability to control blood glucose concentration

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

• β-cells unable to produce insulin
• Cause: Unknown, possibly autoimmune or viral infection
  
  • Cannot be treated or cured but symptoms can be treated
• Usually begins in childhood

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

• Patients cannot effectively use insulin
• Cause: Either the liver cells do not respond to insulin (fault in glycoprotein receptor), or the β-cells do not produce enough insulin
  
  • Cell then doesn’t take up glucose leaving in bloodstream causing hyperglycaemia
• Risk of Type 2 increases with age

Question 2

What are the treatments for the symptoms of Type 1 diabetes?

Answer 2

• Controlled by regular insulin injections and is insulin dependant
• Patients regularly test their blood glucose conc. and calculate how much insulin they need based on this conc. value
  
  • The injected insulin causes glycogenesis to reduce blood glucose conc.
• If a patient injects too much insulin, hypoglycaemia can occur – causing unconsciousness and possible fatality
• If a patient doesn’t inject enough insulin, hyperglycaemia can occur – also causing unconsciousness and possible fatality

Question 3

What are the treatments for the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes?

Answer 3

• Patients cannot effectively use insulin
• Cause: Either the liver cells do not respond to insulin (fault in glycoprotein receptor), or the β-cells do not produce enough insulin
  
  • Cell then doesn’t take up glucose leaving in bloodstream causing hyperglycaemia
• Risk of Type 2 increases with age

Question 4

How was insulin produced and how is it produced now?

And what are the advantages of the current method?

Answer 4

• Insulin used to be isolated from a pig pancreas – expensive and difficult, can also cause allergic reaction with ethical obligations as well
• Now genetically engineered bacteria manufacture human insulin
  
  • Human insulin won’t cause allergies
  • More effective than pigs as there is lower chance of rejection
  • Cheaper to produce and can be made in higher quantities
  • Fewer ethical and moral objections to using animals

Question 5

What is a potential treatment for diabetes itself?

Answer 5

• Totipotent stem cells can be used (can grow into any cell type)
  
  • The stem cells would be taken from embryos – potentially destroying a human life
• Advantages of using stem cells
  
  • No issue with donor availability
  • Reduce likelihood of rejection problems
  • No need to inject with insulin regularly