Diabetes Flashcards
What is diabetes?
A disorder that affects body’s ability to regulate blood glucose levels
There are 2 types
What is type 1 diabetes?
Also known as insulin deficient diabetes
Normally occurs in young children and teenagers
If your body does not make enough insulin your blood glucose concentration isn’t controlled
Can be controlled by regular insulin injections, careful diet and exercise
Why do people with diabetes 1 often feel tired?
The blood sugar level remains low so people have less energy
What is the effect of food on blood sugar levels?
Learn negative feedback diagram
Normal blood glucose level = 90mg glucose per 100cm3 of blood
Eating causes blood glucose level to rise
Pancreas produces insulin
Insulin convert glucose (soluble) into glycogen (insoluble) and stored in the liver
Blood glucose levels become normal again
What is the effect of exercise or not eating?
Learn negative feedback diagram
Normal blood glucose level
Exercise or not eating causes blood glucose level to fall
Pancreas produces glucagon
Glucagon in liver converts glycogen (insoluble) into glucose (soluble) and released into blood stream
Blood glucose levels become normal again
How do we cure type 1 diabetes?
1 Pancreas transplant - expensive, risky, not enough donors
2 Transplant pancreatic cells from living and dead donors - limited success
3 stem cells - genetic modification of pancreas may produce insulin - mouse 2008
How is insulin produced?
1 genetic engineering
2 quick efficient and safe to make lots of insulin
3 increase in diabetes so need for insulin growing
What is type 2 diabetes?
1 more common as people get older, linked to obesity or lack of exercise
2 strong genetic tendency
3 pancreas makes insulin but may be less than needed but body cells stop responding to the insulin you make
4 levels rising in UK and USA as obesity increases
5 controlled by regulation of diet and exercise
What is insulin and what does it do?
The pancreas monitors your blood glucose concentration using hormones including insulin
Produced when blood sugar rises
It allows glucose to move from blood into cells where it is used
What is glycogen
A storage carbohydrate found in the liver and muscles
Created by insulin and glucose when blood sugar rises
Converted back to glucose when needed
What is glucagon
Hormone released by pancreas
Breaks down glycogen in liver into glucose so it can be released back into blood stream
What happens if liver and muscles stores are full of glycogen?
Any excess glucose goes into lipids and stored
Can cause obesity
How do we treat type 2 diabetes
Possible without injecting insulin to restore blood glucose balance
1 eat balanced diet with controlled amount of carbohydrate
2 losing weight
3 regular exercise
If this doesn’t work then drugs available to make insulin work, help pancreas make more insulin, reduce glucose absorbed from food
Otherwise insulin injections
