Diabetes Mellitus Flashcards
What is a chronic condition?
Long term disease/condition which has to be managed rather than cured.
When is type 1 diabetes diagnosed?
What causes it?
What is the effects of it?
How is it treated?
- Diagnosed in childhood/early childhood.
- Little/to no insulin made - due to immune system attacking and destroying B cells in Islet Of Langerhans - due to faulty genes/severe viral infections.
- Causes very high blood glucose conc after eating (hyperglycaemia).
- Glucose stays in bloodstream rather than being converted to glycogen and is excreted in urine by kidneys.
- Treated with insulin injections/pumps.
Why does insulin have to be injected?
It is a protein hormone, if taken by tablet could be hydrolysed by protease enzymes in stomach/denatured by HCl.
Advantages of genetically engineered insulin
- Exact copy of human insulin (less chance of rejection).
- Decrease risk of infection.
- Cheaper to manufacture.
- Supply can meet demand.
- Decrease moral/ethical objections.
When is type 2 diabetes diagnosed?
What happens to your body?
What causes it?
How is it treated?
- Diagnosed in middle age.
- Body cells lose sensitivity to insulin and stop responding to it.
- Low levels of insulin could be produced.
- Due to genetics/lifestyle.
- Treated with low sugar diet/tablets to stimulate an increase in insulin or to slow down rate of glucose absorption and increased exercise.
Lifestyle factors that increase type 2 diabetes.
- Overweight/obesity.
- Lack of exercise.
- Genes/family history.
- Direct with loss of sugars.
- Being in asian/afro-carribean descent
Explain for higher blood glucose conc.
Not enough insulin made/cells don’t respond to it.
Explanation for glucose in urine.
Kidneys don’t re-absorb all of glucose back into blood as conc too high.
Explanation for excessive thirst and urine production.
Glucose in urine, decrease water potential of urine, more water drawn in by osmosis, dehydration.
Explanation to being very hungry.
Body cells don’t store glucose as glycogen so other energy stores used up, decreases in energy levels.
Explanation for tiredness and weight loss.
Decrease in energy stores in cells = decrease in respiration = decrease in ATP production.
Explanation for gangrene.
Damaged blood vessels = poor circulation= lack of glucose and O2 to cells, cell death.
Explanation for blurred vision/ sight loss.
Inc in blood = Hb becomes “glycosylated” = less efficient to carry O2 = damage to tissues (retina).
How are biosensors used to monitor blood glucose conc?
- Use enzymes to detect substances.
- Contain glucose oxidase which detects glucose in blood and provides digital reading on the gadget.
How could stem cells help treat diabetes?
- Supply for pancreas transplants do not meet demand so stem cells for future:
Totipotent stem cells -> could be made into B cells of IOL.
What is the advantages of using stem cells for diabetes?
- Donor availability not an issue -> can make unlimited supply of B cells.
- Decrease chance of rejection - embryonic stem cells.
- Improved quality of life for diabetics -> no longer need to monitor blood glucose conc.
