Blood Sugar

Question 0

How can the body control blood sugar

Answer 0

The pancreas secretes digestive enzymes and 2 hormones that control the amount of glucose in the blood (blood sugar), called insulin and glucagon. Special areas of the pancreas called Islets of Langerhans contains 2 types of cells: Alpha cells (which produce glucagon), and Beta cells (which produce insulin).

Question 1

What is diabetes what types are there and the symptoms

Answer 1

Diabetes:
Canadians Banting & Best discovered that insulin was responsible for diabetes J Won Nobel Prize.
3 Types:
• Type 1: Born with a pancreas that doesn’t produce insulin. Treatment: daily injections of insulin, diet
• Type II: Decreased insulin production or cells stop responding to insulin. Onset in adulthood. Treatment: Diet, exercise, pills
• Gestational: Onset during pregnancy. Goes away after birth.
Symptoms: Low energy level (glucose released in urine, not stored); increased urine output, increased thirst (see yesterday’s note).
Long-term effects of untreated diabetes can be blindness, kidney failure, nerve damage leading to amputation of limbs.

Question 2

Draw a flow chart to visualize the following

Answer 2

• When b.s. increases (after a meal), beta cells release insulin. Insulin stimulates muscle cells, liver cells and other cells to become permeable to glucose and glycogen. This brings b.s. back to normal.
• When b.s. decreases (after exercise), alpha cells release glucagon. Glucagon stimulates the liver to breakdown glycogen to produce glucose. This brings b.s. back to normal.