Homeostasis and blood glucose
Keeping things steady
- Homeostasis is keeping a constant internal environment in the body.
- For example a steady temperature and a steady blood glucose level.
- (Supplement) It works by negative feedback: a change away from the set point triggers a correction back.
Practice
Homeostasis is:
Homeostasis keeps conditions inside the body steady, such as temperature and blood glucose.
Controlling blood glucose
- After a meal, insulin lowers blood glucose — the liver stores it as glycogen.
- (Supplement) Between meals, glucagon raises blood glucose — the liver releases glucose.
- In Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas can't make insulin, so blood glucose rises too high — treated with insulin injections and a careful diet.
Practice
Insulin controls blood glucose by:
Insulin lowers blood glucose after a meal; the liver stores the glucose as glycogen.
Practice
In Type 1 diabetes the pancreas cannot make insulin, so blood glucose can rise too high.
Without insulin, blood glucose is not lowered, so it rises too high; insulin injections treat it.
You've got it
Key idea
- homeostasis = a constant internal environment (steady temperature, steady glucose)
- insulin lowers blood glucose (stored as glycogen); glucagon raises it (Supplement)
- Type 1 diabetes = no insulin → high blood glucose; treated with injections + diet