NN+Diabetes+Questions

(1) What is a hormone? (insert an image too) **Hormones are chemical signals that are carried throughout the body by the blood stream. Only the "target cells" can respond to a given hormone, and hormones take time to be delivered and for the cell to respond. The purpose of the hormone is communication. Cells communicate with other cells, and body part communicate with other body parts, using hormones. .** (picture of a steroid hormone) (2) How are the nervous system and endocrine system similar? different? **Both systems are essential to maintaining homeostasis. The ways they operate, however, are very different. The nervous system is mostly made up of neurons, and mainly use electrical impulses for communication, and the reaction time is much faster. The endocrine system, on the other hand, is made up of glands, and send hormones to tell the cells what to do. The endocrine system is also much slower.**
 * 15.1 Endocrine Glands (p.296-297)**

(3) Describe insulin secretion from the pancreas. Where is it produced? When is it secreted? **When the levels of glucose are high in the blood stream, the pancreatic islets secrete insulin to encourage the absorption of glucose by cells, especially the liver, muscle, and adipose cells.** (4) What is the role of insulin? **Insulin encourages the absorption of glucose by cells. The liver, muscle, and adipose cells especially respond to insulin and take in high levels of the glucose, often storing int as glycogen.** (5) What is diabetes mellitus? **Diabetes Melitus is a disorder where the cells do not take in glucose like they are supposed to. This problem creates a loss of energy since the cells depend on glucose for their energy. The body then gets rid of the unused glucose by creating a need to urinate. The constant need to get rid of the glucose creates the need to frequently urinate, making a person with diabetes very thirsty.** (6) How does a glucose tolerance test assist in the diagnosis of diabetes? **It informs the person how well the cells absorb glucose into their cells. If a person does not absorb enough glucose, they are diabetic, if they absorb enough of the glucose, they are not diabetic.** (7) What causes diabetes type 1? **Type 1 diabetes can run in the family, or it can result from a viral infection where the immune system killed too many cells, including the ones that create insulin.** (8) How is diabetes type 1 controlled? **Controlling type 1 diabetes depends on whether the blood glucose level is high or low. If the level is high, then an insulin injection is needed to make the cells absorb the glucose. If the level is low, then the person needs to eat a cube of sugar so that there is sugar in their blood.** (9) What causes diabetes type 2? **Type 2 diabetes occurs when the cells resist the insulin, causing them to not let in the glucose the cell needs. This condition is caused by many things including a diet high in fats and sugars, as well as obesity.** (10) How is diabetes type 2 controlled? **Type 2 diabetes is best controlled by a low-fat and low-sugar diet and exercise. There are also pills and other medications that will increase the levels of insulin produced by the pancreas and increase the metabolism of glucose.** (11) What are the symptoms of diabetes? **A person with unchecked diabetes can feel any of the following ways:**
 * 15.5 Pancreas (p.308-310)**
 * **excessive fatigue**
 * **anxiety**
 * **perspiration**
 * **pale skin**
 * **shallow breathing**
 * **frequent urination**
 * **excessive hunger and/or thirst**
 * **blurred vision**
 * **sores that won't go away**
 * There are also long term conditions including:**
 * **heart disease**
 * **stroke**
 * **blindness**
 * **kidney diseases**
 * **high blood pressure**
 * **amputation of the fingers or toes**