Blood Glucose Homeostasis Flashcards
What is hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia?
Low and high sugar
True or false: blood sugar/ glucose regulates many pathways in our body
True
Why do we want glucose to be in a normal range in our body?
It keeps our body in homeostasis. Glucose provides energy to our cells.
Why do they look for sugar concentration at doctors office?
To see if you’re at risk for diabetes.
What is the normal glucose concentration in blood? (In mmol )
5 mmol
Why is glucose in the blood so important to think about?
- muscles use glucose during exercise
- when glucose gets to cells, it produces ATP
- our brains cannot function without glucose.
- glucose is critical for muscle and the muscle uses a ton of it.
How do we get glucose in our bloodstream?
We consume carbohydrates, and if we don’t, our liver can make glucose from protein
What muscle is constantly burning glucose?
The brain. it doesn’t burn fat or protein.
What will happen to your brain with no glucose?
Groggy and tired first. Then we get weak, loss of consciousness and then death.
What is the brains emergency fuel?
Ketones. But prefers glucose. Won’t consume anything else.
Every muscle except the brain requires what hormone to get to the muscle cells?
Insulin.
What does a PET scan do?
Uses isotopes to measure glucose uptake into the cell.
Where does the most glucose uptake occur in the body during exercise?
The part you are using most (ex. Sprinters will be legs).
What is the amount of glucose in the blood stream before a meal vs. After a meal?
Before: 4 grams. After: 7.3 grams.
How many litres of blood does the average adult have?
4.5L of blood
What is the glucose homeostatic range in mmol?
4-9 mmol/L
Why is high blood sugar not good?
Many bad things like amputation and blindness can happen. Too much high blood sugar overtime predicts all sorts of bad outcomes. Predicts CVD and cancer.
Why is low blood sugar not good?
You can’t feed brain and you can pass out if it’s low enough, even die.
True or false: over time, hyperglycema is damaging to cells.
True.
True or false: hypoglycemia is not dangerous immediately.
False, dangerous immediately.
Where is the glucose sensor needle measuring from?
The interstitial fluid.
What causes an elite level athlete who doesn’t have diabetes to have high sugar when they’re in competition?
Adrenaline, stress, other hormones. Fueling.
What does eating vs. exercising do to glucose levels?
Eating highers it, exercising lowers it.
What are the main hormones that affect our blood sugar levels?
Lower: insulin, higher: glucagon.
What hormone takes glucose out of the bloodstream, out of the fluid, and pushes it into the cells, muscle cells, fat cells, liver cells
Insulin
Where does glucagon come from?
The pancreas.
What organ is so important in maintaining glucose homeostasis?
The liver.it holds glucose in the form of glycogen
What happens when insulin goes up?
Glucose is pushed into the liver and muscles
What happens when insulin goes down?
Squeezes glucose out the liver to keep blood sugar up.
True or false: insulin brings sugar up and glucagon brings sugar down.
False. Vice versa.
True or false: insulin brings sugar up and glucagon brings sugar down.
False. Vice versa.
