Hormonal Control of Blood Glucose

Question 1

Does insulin promote the movement of glucose into cells or into the blood? Under what circumstances would insulin be released by the pancreas (high or low blood glucose level) and why?

Answer 1

Insulin promotes the movement of glucose into cells. When the blood glucose is too high after a carbohydrate-rich meal, insulin is released by the pancreas to bring glucose into the cells (from the blood), which lowers the blood glucose level.

Question 2

What types of metabolic reactions does insulin activate? Give examples of metabolic reactions that insulin activates.

Options: Glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, glycogenesis, glycogenolysis.

Answer 2

Insulin activates metabolic processes that use glucose to derive energy (glycolysis) or for storage as glycogen (glycogenesis).

Question 3

Does glucagon promote the movement of glucose into cells or into the blood? Under what circumstances would glucagon be released by the pancreas (high or low blood glucose level) and why?

Answer 3

Glucagon promotes the movement of glucose from the cells into the blood. When the blood glucose is too low after a period of fasting, glucagon is released from the pancreas to move glucose out of the cells into the blood, which increase the level of glucose in the blood.

Question 4

What types of metabolic reactions does glucagon activate? Give examples of metabolic reactions that glucagon activates.
Options: Glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, glycogenesis, glycogenolysis.

Answer 4

Glucagon activates metabolic processes that make glucose. The examples of the glucose making metabolic processes are gluconeogenesis (makes glucose from a non-carbohydrate source of pyruvate) and glycogenolysis (breaks down glycogen into glucose).