Blood sugar regulation

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/blood-sugar-regulation

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the insulin's mechanism?Promotes glucose uptake by tissues and storage as glycogen
2. What is the glucagon's mechanism?Stimulates hepatic glucose production (glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis)
3. What is blood sugar and why does it need to stay just right?Blood sugar is the glucose in your blood, which gives energy to cells, especially the brain and red blood cells. It must stay in a narrow range so your body can work properly.
4. How does the body lower high blood sugar after a meal?After you eat, insulin is released by the pancreas. Insulin helps cells take in glucose, stores some as glycogen, and stops the liver from making more glucose.

Glucose Homeostasis: The physiological process of maintaining stable blood glucose levels within a narrow, optimal range.
Insulin: A pancreatic hormone that facilitates glucose uptake by cells and lowers blood glucose levels.
Glucagon: A pancreatic hormone that increases blood glucose levels by stimulating glucose release from the liver.
Hyperglycemia: A condition characterized by abnormally high blood glucose levels.