Controlling blood glucose

• What is homeostasis primarily concerned with?


  Maintaining a stable internal environment
• How is blood glucose controlled as part of homeostasis?


  Through the hormones insulin and glucagon
• What are the main steps involved in controlling blood glucose levels?

  1. Eating carbohydrates increases blood glucose.
  2. Cells consume glucose during metabolism.
  3. Vigorous exercise reduces blood glucose.
  4. Excess glucose is stored as glycogen.
  5. The pancreas monitors and controls glucose levels using insulin and glucagon.
• What happens to blood glucose levels after eating food containing carbohydrates?


  Glucose enters the blood from the gut
• What role does vigorous exercise play in blood glucose levels?


  It removes much more glucose from the blood
• Where can excess glucose be stored in the body?

  As glycogen in the liver and muscles
• How does the pancreas contribute to blood glucose regulation?


  It monitors and controls glucose levels using insulin and glucagon
• What is the nature of the feedback cycle involved in blood glucose regulation?


  It is a negative feedback cycle
• What happens to blood glucose levels in diabetes?


  • Blood glucose level too HIGH: INSULIN is added.
  • Blood glucose level too LOW: GLUCAGON is added.
• What was a common misconception about the pancreas?


  That it was just a cushion
• What can help make understanding blood glucose control easier?

  Learning the diagrams related to the process
• What does the graph mentioned in the study material illustrate?

  The relative secretion rates of insulin and glucagon as blood glucose levels change
• What is the significance of the hormones insulin and glucagon in blood glucose regulation?


  They help maintain blood glucose levels within a normal range