Hormones and that.

Question 1

Hormones - and how they work.

Answer 1

Hormones are chemical messengers (made of protein) which are made by the endocrine glands in the body and travel in the blood to specific target tissues. When the hormone arrives at its target tissue the specific receptors in the tissue detect the hormone and triggers a specific response while other tissues lacking the receptor molecules remain unaffected.

Question 2

Blood Glucose Regulation

Answer 2

The body employs the control mechanism to guarantee that a regular supply of blood glucose is available for use by cells, regardless of when and how often food is eaten.

Question 3

Liver as a Storehouse

Answer 3

About 100 grams of glucose are stored as glycogen in the liver. Glucose can be added to or removed from this store depending on shifts of supply and demand.

Question 4

Insulin and Glucagon Pt 1

Answer 4

A rise in blood glucose level to above its optimum concentration after a meal is detected by cells in the pancreas, which produce insulin. This hormone is
transported in the bloodstream to the liver where it activates an enzyme that catalyses the reaction:
glucose —————> glycogen

Question 5

Insulin and Glycogen pt 2

Answer 5

This brings the blood glucose concentration back down to around its normal level. If the blood glucose level drops below its optimum concentration between meals or during the night, different cells in the pancreas detect this change and release glucagon. This second hormone is transported to the liver and activates a different enzyme, which catalyses the reaction:

glycogen —————> glucose

The blood glucose concentration therefore rises to around the optimum concentration.