Body regulations

How does our body regulate our sugar levels?


Sugar level:
We need energy to stay alive and continue on with our daily activities and our source of energy and fuel comes from food. A portion of the food you consume goes through a complex system of organs, hormones and enzymes and is eventually digested to become the usable energy for your cells, called glucose. All parts of your body need a constant supply of energy to work, especially your brain and muscles.

Our body maintains a minimal level of glucose in the blood, approximately 70 mg/ dl, and also regulates surges of glucose, when we eat a meal, to not exceed 140 mg/dl.

When we are not eating, the liver has stored glucose (liver glycogen) readily available to keep our blood levels at a minimal functioning level. Insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas to help regulate the amount of glucose in the blood, is minimally at work when there is no food being consumed.

When we are eating a meal, the digested food causes you blood glucose to rise. Typically, 2 hours after your meal is the highest concentration of glucose in your blood. The rise in the blood glucose sends a signal to the pancreas to release insulin from the beta cells [insulin-producing cells], which makes the glucose available to the cells of the body. Insulin then acts like the "gatekeeper" of glucose, hence when insulin is released into the bloodstream by the pancreas when the glucose levels are too high, it allows glucose to be absorbed by body cells, which causes the glucose level to go down. This is important

When there is too little glucose in the blood, the pancreas will stop producing insulin and hence less glucose is being absorbed by the body cells. This is when the pancreas will produce another hormone called glucagon when glucose levels fall. This causes the cells in the liver to turn glycogen back to glucose to be absorbed by the cells. The blood sugar levels will hence rise

 From the first bite, there is a burst of insulin secreted to control blood sugar rise. Then a steady stream of insulin is released to handle the continual digestion. Throughout the whole day, a small amount of insulin keeps control over the blood glucose. Insulin helps to lower your blood glucose by transporting the glucose into the cells of the body to be burned off or stored as fats. Another hormone, amylin, is released together with the insulin and works in the intestinal tract to regulate glucose absorption.

This is how our body regulate our sugar levels.

Why is it so important to have our blood sugar levels regulated?
It is important for our bodies to have a system to regulate our glucose levels as we can get ill if we have too little or too much glucose in our bloodstream. Diabetes is an example of an disorder in which the glucose level in our blood remains too high. This can be treated by injecting insulin into our blood. This  would allow the glucose to be taken up by the liver and other tissues, so cells can get the glucose needed and blood sugar levels stay normal.

Type 1 Diabetes:

• caused by the lack of insulin

can be controlled by :

1. monitoring the diet
2. injecting insulin

Type 2 Diabetes:

• caused by a person becoming resistant to insulin

can be controlled by :

1. monitoring the diet
2. having physical exercise

Sources:

http://www.diabetescare.net/content_detail.asp?id=1224
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/edexcel/responses_to_environment/homeostasisrev7.shtml