Homeostatic Control of Blood Glucose Levels Essay

Glucagon acts on liver cells to promote breakdown of glycogen into glucose and formation of glucose from lactic acid and certain amino acids.

Glucagon signifies “the liver and muscles to turn glycogen into glucose and release glucose back into the bloodstream” (Morris 2014). The purpose of this is to prevent the blood glucose levels from reaching excessively low levels.

When the blood glucose levels rise above the optimum, the pancreas detects this, and sends a metabolic signal for the pancreas to produce insulin in the beta cells. The beta cells are a part of a cluster of cells called the Islets of Langerhan. The hormone insulin is made here because the pancreas is a part of the endocrine system. (4) Insulin helps our cells convert glucose into energy, and it helps our bodies store extra glucose for use later. Insulin does this by turning the extra food into larger packages of glucose called glycogen. Glycogen is stored in the liver and muscles. When the body consumes food the pancreas will produce more insulin than normal as more is needed, and less insulin when it is not needed as much. (7)

The blood glucose level has very limited range for humans to survive and stay healthy. Generally, people are able to remove excess glucose rapidly from the body but this is not the case when they are diagnosed with diabetes and insulin resistant situations. The lack of insulin resistance can also lead to a decrease in glycogen synthesis and storage as it usually converts glucose to energy for cell’s use (Jensen & et al. 2011). When insulin is produced under insulin resistance, the cells are incapable of using them effectively which then leads to high blood sugar level as ketones and ketoacids are produced as an alternative energy source for the body. The rise of ketoacid causes the blood pH acidic and the patient may also be diagnosed with ketoacidosis (Newton & Raskin 2004). There would also be less intake of lipid and more of stored triglycerides as the lipids are effected by the insulin. As the glucose levels increase, the muscle glucose uptake will decrease while the liver glucose production and blood fatty acid concentration will also increase within the body (Lichtenstein & Schwab 2000). Excess glucose within the blood are converted to fat which can lead to Diabetic Dyslipidaemia and furthermore to obesity, hypertension and

To investigate blood glucose concentrations following food input. This was done by analysing blood glucose concentration data from individuals ingesting various types of food following several hours of fasting. To also examine glucose tolerance test in a clinical context and to further explain glucose concentrations in the body.

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The hypothalamus will send a signal to the pancreas to release glucagon, the hormone responsible for increasing glucose, to the blood. After glucagon enters the blood it will go to the target cell to bind to the receptor. After it reaches the receptor, glucagon stimulates the breakdown of glycogen, which will then secrete glucose to the blood thus increasing the blood glucose levels. This is an example of positive feedback. Once the receptors in blood detect that the glucose in the blood is increasing, the target cells will then send a signal to the to stop the stimulation of glucagon. This is called negative

The organs involved include the liver, muscle, fat cells, liver, alpha and beta cells of the pancreas, GI tract, kidney, and brain. While the liver and muscle ideally increase glucose uptake in the fed state when insulin levels are high, with type 2 diabetes this is impaired. To further exacerbate the hyperglycemic condition, the liver not only fails to properly exhibit glucose uptake, but it actually over produces more glucose and thereby creates a cycle of glucose accumulation and further production. While this is occurring in the muscle and liver, fat cells have accelerated lipolysis. The lipolysis results in an increase in plasma free fatty acids (FFAs), which then in-turn impairs both first and second phase insulin secretion and can lead to excess fat deposition in the liver and muscle, contributing further to impaired insulin production. At the GI tract, gastric inhibitory polypeptide becomes resistant and loss of GLP-1 occurs. With impaired GLP-1, insulin resistance is again further enabled and hyperglycemia can become more profound. This occurs because glucagon suppression from the pancreatic alpha cells post meal does not occur as it would under normal circumstances, thereby enabling even more hepatic glucose production. While theories are not completely conclusive, insulin resistance in the hypothalamus may contribute to excess intake thereby contributing to additional glucose in the circulation. Finally, the kidney also plays a role in glucose dysregulation as it increases glucose reabsorption. All of these discussed mechanisms ultimately contribute to hyperglycemia and chronic hyperglycemia itself contributes to impaired beta cell function (DeFronzo,

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a condition in the body that is related to a faulty metabolism. It means that the body’s metabolism is not functioning properly, which leads to adverse effects in the health. The food we ingest, gets broken down into blood sugar (glucose), which is what fuels our body in the form of energy. This converted glucose needs to enter our cells so that it can be used for energy and growth. And in order for the glucose to enter our cells, there needs to be insulin present, which the beta cells of the pancreas is responsible for producing. This hormone is responsible for maintaining glucose level in the blood. It allows the body cells to use glucose as a main

Diabetes type 2 is a condition in which blood sugar levels are too high. After eating foods that contain carbohydrates, chemicals in the small intestine break down the carbohydrates into simple sugar molecules called glucose. The cell lining in the small intestine absorb the glucose, which then passes into the bloodstream. When the blood reaches the pancreas, beta cells inside the pancreas detect the rising glucose levels. To reduce the glucose level, beta cells release insulin into the bloodstream. As the blood circulates through the body, the insulin and glucose exit the bloodstream into tissue to reach the body’s cells. Most cells of the body have certain receptors on their surface that bind to the circulating insulin. Insulin acts like a key in a lick to open up the cell so that the circulating glucose can get inside the cell. The cell can use the glucose to produce the energy it needs to function properly. If a person has insulin resistance, insulin cannot unlock the cells to let glucose in because the locks, called receptors, are abnormal and/or missing. As a result, glucose is locked out of the cells. The amount of glucose builds up in the bloodstream in a condition called hyperglycemia. To compensate for hyperglycemia, the pancreas produces more and more insulin. Overworked beta cells try to keep with the demand, but gradually lose their ability to produce enough insulin.

When food reaches the digestive track, it transforms into glucose. That is a simple sugar. It is absorbed by the stomach and intestine and then it enters to the blood stream. When it is in the blood stream, the sugar level of our body rises. This gives signals to the pancreas, resulting in the liberation of the hormone called insulin. This hormone is very important because it helps glucose to reach important parts of the human body, such as the liver, muscles and adipose tissue or fat. It is also necessary because it helps to maintain sugar levels of our body. When the Pancreas does not produce insulin, the blood sugar level rises and glucose cannot reach the liver, muscle, and adipose tissue. This defect is called diabetes. The international Expert Committee in their article “International Expert Committee Report On The A1c Assay In The Diagnosis Of Diabetes” states that “Diabetes is a disease characterized by abnormal metabolism, most notably hyperglycemia, and an associated heightened risk for relatively specific long-term complications

The amount of glucose in the blood is expressed as millimoles per litre (mmol/l). Normally, blood glucose levels stay within narrow limits throughout the day (4 to 8mmol/l). But they are higher after meals and usually lowest in the morning Most dietary carbohydrate eventually ends up as glucose in the blood.

Homeostasis is the maintenance of near constant conditions/ state of the internal environment of an organism, this is important for the organism as it needs to maintain a near constant internal environment, it does this by allowing the body cells to function at optimal levels so internal and external influences don’t affect the state and conditions of the organism. An example of a homeostatic system is blood glucose regulation. It is the process that is maintained by the body for the levels of blood sugar; glucose, Glucose regulation is a process in the body that keeps it in homeostasis; insulin and glucagon are the main hormones involved in the process. Blood glucose is produced from food we eat, especially carbohydrates, fats and proteins, this is the main source of energy for the human body. Blood glucose is transported to the cells by the circulation and into cells by glucose transporters; some are regulated by insulin. Insulin is one of the hormones produced by the pancreas in which regulates the glucose levels in the blood around the body. Glucose is needed for respiration and the concentration levels of glucose in the blood is important to be kept and maintained at a near constant level (70 to 115mg, in a normal adult). Hyperglycemia means high blood glucose levels, this can caused by several factors such as poor food/ diet and physical activity choices and even illness. The body needs glucose to properly function due to being

The purpose of blood glucose regulation is to maintain the levels of blood sugar in the body at homeostasis. As humans, our bodies rely on our blood glucose levels to be maintained within a very small range (approximately between 5mM and 10mM). It is important for blood glucose levels to remain stable and within these approximate boundaries because the brain and body struggle to function properly outside of this range. Insulin and Glucagon are both pancreatic endocrine hormones secreted from the pancreas in order to maintain homeostasis in blood glucose regulation. It is the production of these hormones that is necessary in humans in order to prevent diseases such as diabetes or hypoglycemia from developing.

The control of glucose levels in the blood is an example of homeostasis. Homeostasis is the body maintaining a stable internal state despite changes in the external environment. This homeostasis is achieved through negative feedback. Negative feedback is when a deviation of normal levels is brought back to the normal level by a corrective response. The larger the deviation from the normal, the greater the corrective response will be. The level of glucose in the blood achieves homeostasis by its removal from the blood being balanced with its entry into the blood.