Controlling blood glucose Flashcards
What else is blood glucose controlled by?
Homeostasis.
What hormones are involved in homeostasis?
- Insulin.
- Glucagon.
What do insulin and glucagon do?
They control the blood glucose level.
What does eating foods containing carbohydrate do?
I puts glucose into the blood from the gut.
How is glucose removed from the blood?
By the normal metabolism of cells.
How else is glucose removed from the blood?
By vigorous exercise, which removes much more glucose from the blood.
What must be kept steady in the blood?
Levels of blood glucose.
How are changes in blood glucose monitored and controlled?
By the pancreas, using the hormones insulin and glucagon.
What happens when the blood glucose level is too high?
Insulin is added.
How does insulin control blood with too high glucose?
- 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.
What happens when the blood glucose level is too low?
Glucagon is added.
How does glucagon control blood with too little glucose?
- 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.
What is type 1 diabetes?
A condition where the pancreas produces little or no insulin.
What is the result of type 1 diabetes?
That a person’s blood glucose can rise to a level that can kill them.
How is the problem of type 1 diabetes controlled?
- 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.
What does insulin therapy for type 1 diabetes involve?
This usually involves injecting insulin into the blood several times throughout the day, usually at mealtimes.
What does insulin therapy for type 1 diabetes do?
It makes sure that glucose is removed from the blood quickly once the food has been digested.
What is insulin therapy for type 1 diabetes?
A very effective treatment, as it stops the level of blood glucose from getting too high.
What does the amount of insulin during insulin therapy that needs to be injected for type 1 diabetes depend on?
The person’s diet and how active they are.
Where did we used to get insulin for insulin therapy from?
It was extracted from pigs or cows.
Where do we get insulin for insulin therapy from now?
Human insulin is made by genetic engineering.
What is good about using human insulin over animal insulin in insulin therapy?
Human insulin doesn’t cause adverse reactions in patients, like animal insulin did.
What is the disadvantage of insulin therapy?
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.
What can diabetics have instead of the methods of controlling blood glucose levels?
A pancreas transplant.
