L4 - Blood Glucose Regulation

• Homeostasis


  Keeping a constant internal environment. This is to make sure that chemical reactions in the body are taking place efficiently. Therefore temperature, pH, water and glucose levels need to be kept constant.
• Hormones


  Chemical messengers that travel in the blood, that help homeostasis.
• When blood glucose is too high, insulin is the hormone involved
• When blood glucose is too low, glucagon is the hormone involved
• Blood glucose too high:

  • Blood glucose levels will increase due to carbohydrate consumption
  • Pancreas will release
  • The hormone insulin
  • Will travel through the blood to reach its target organ - the liver
  • Liver will convert the excess glucose
  • Into glycogen
  • Blood glucose levels will return to normal - no further insulin released
  • This is negative feedback
• Blood glucose too low:

  • Blood glucose levels will decrease due to exercise
  • Pancreas will release
  • The hormone glucagon
  • Will travel through the blood to reach its target organ - the liver
  • Liver will convert the glycogen back
  • Into glucose
  • Blood glucose levels will return to normal - no further glucagon released
  • This is negative feedback
• Regulating blood glucose, body temperature and water levels in the blood are all examples of negative feedback.
• Negative feedback


  Any change from the balance in optimal internal conditions results in the body's hormonal and nervous systems compensating for the change and restoring the balance.