Blood Glucose Control

• What gland controls blood glucose?

  Pancreas
• What causes high blood glucose levels?

  Eating foods high in carbohydrates
• What happens when blood glucose levels are too high?

  • Pancreas detects this and releases insulin
  • Insulin binds to target cells in Liver/Muscles
  • Liver absorbs excess glucose and stores as glycogen
  • Muscles absorbs glucose to be used for respiration

  Thus blood glucose concentration is reduced
• What happens when blood glucose concentration is too low?

  • Pancreas detects this and releases glucagon
  • Glucagon binds to liver cells causing them to convert stored glycogen to glucose
  • Glucose is released into blood causing increase in blood glucose levels
• What is type 1 diabetes and its treatment?

  • Pancreas don't produce insulin/very little
  • Blood glucose levels get too high making person feel ill/die

  Treatment= Insulin injection
• What is Type 2 diabetes and treatment

  • Cells are resistant to insulin
  • Cells won't take glucose from blood stream regardless of how much insulin is released
  • Usually due to poor diet so recommended to eat low sugar diet and exercise as exercise takes in glucose for respiration