Lecture 21: Endocrine System - Pancreas

Question 1

What hormones does the endocrine pancreas make?

Answer 1

Insulin and glucagon

Question 2

What makes up 99% of the pancreas

Answer 2

Acini, exocrine digestive cell clusters, that connect the ducts

Question 3

What makes up 1% of the pancreas

Answer 3

Several million islets of Langerhans

Question 4

What are alpha cells

Answer 4

Cells that are 20% of islet cells; secrete glucagon

Question 5

What is glucagon

Answer 5

A hormone that raises blood sugar to maintain normal levels. It acts on hepatocytes to make glycogen to glucose and amino acids into glucose.

Question 6

What are beta cells

Answer 6

80% of islet cells; secrete insulin

Question 7

What is insulin

Answer 7

A hormone that lowers blood sugar.

Question 8

What does the movement of potassium and sodium cause?

Answer 8

Electrical conduction in the nerves and heart when potassium and sodium move between the cells and the blood

Question 9

What happens when there is excess potassium?

Answer 9

It fatally prevents electrical conduction

Question 10

What are delta cells and their functions?

Answer 10

Less than 1% of pancreatic cells; secrete somatostatin; inhibits insulin release; slows nutrient absorption in GI tract

Question 11

What are F cells and their function?

Answer 11

less that 1% of islet cells; release pancreatic polypeptide

Question 12

Diabetes mellitus means and is what?

Answer 12

“copious sweet urine”; glucose levels are high in the blood

Question 13

What is diabetes mellitus characterized by?

Answer 13

three “polys”

1. polyuria: lots of urine
2. polydipsia (very thirsty and drinking lots of liquids)
3. polyphagia (lots of eating)

Question 14

Two main types of diabetes mellitus

Answer 14

Type I and Type II

Question 15

Type I diabetes

Answer 15

insulin-dependent; 10-20% of cases; aka juvenile-onset diabetes; brittle diabetics; body is becomes allergic to beta cells and starts to destroy them; must have injections of insulin

Question 16

What do cells use when the person has type I diabetes?

Answer 16

Fatty acids for energy; this results in ketones

Question 17

what are ketones?

Answer 17

Fatty acid waste that are acidic; they cause the blood to become very acidic; condition is called ketoacidosis.

Question 18

What is type I diabetes?

Answer 18

A protean disease (a disease that affects every body system)

Question 19

What is type II diabetes?

Answer 19

Non-insulin-dependent diabetes; maturity-onset diabetes; 80-90% of all cases; target cells are less sensitive to insulin action; treatment includes weight loss, exercise, and diet

Question 20

What is gestational diabetes?

Answer 20

Happens during pregnancy; is an elevation of blood glucose; problems are the same of Type II diabetes

Question 21

Patients with high blood sugar and too little insulin?

Answer 21

1. symtopms: coma, slow onset, lethargy, confusion, odor of acetone on breath
2. treatment: insulin

Question 22

Patients with low blood sugar and too much insulin

Answer 22

1. symptoms: faster onset; confusion/coma, shock, and death; people who overdosed on narcotic drugs have similar symptoms
2. treatment: oral or intravenous glucose

Question 23

What is Zollinger-Ellison syndrome?

Answer 23

Ulcer disease that is caused by a tumor that secretes gastrin in the pancreas and over produces stomach acid. Treated by proton-pump inhibitors to block acid production

Question 24

What activates the release of glucagon?

Answer 24

Low blood sugar.

Question 25

What is glycogenolysis?

Answer 25

Process of glucagon acting on hepatocytes to make glycogen into glucose

Question 26

What is gluconeogenesis?

Answer 26

Process of glucagon acting on hepatocytes to make amino acids into glucose

Question 27

Processes of insulin

Answer 27

1) increase diffusion speed of glucose into cells and conversion of glucose into storage form, glycogen
2) increases synthesis of proteins from amino acids, fatty acids
3) decreases rate of glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis