Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A clinic measures the glucose of three people before a drink of 75 g of glucose and again two hours after it. The cut-offs for diabetes mellitus are 126 mg/dL before the drink and 200 mg/dL at two hours. A person who reaches either cut-off is counted.
Ana: 92 mg/dL before, 118 mg/dL after two hours.
Ben: 131 mg/dL before, 176 mg/dL after two hours.
Chen: 110 mg/dL before, 214 mg/dL after two hours.
Insulin comes from the beta cells and lowers the blood glucose: the liver cells and fat cells take up more glucose, and glycogenesis rises. Glucagon comes from the alpha cells and raises it: glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis in the liver. Diabetes mellitus is a long hyperglycaemia. One mmol/L of glucose is 18 mg/dL. The cut-offs are 126 mg/dL fasting and 200 mg/dL at 2 hours.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. Ana. and . She does not meet a cut-off.
Step 2. Ben. , so he meets the fasting cut-off. His value at two hours, , is below , but one cut-off is enough.
Step 3. Chen. , but . He meets the cut-off at two hours.
Step 4. (b) Insulin, either because the beta cells do not make enough, or because the cells do not respond to it.
Step 5. (c) Glucose, and ketone bodies, which form when the cells cannot use glucose.
Answer: (a) Ben (fasting) and Chen (two hours); (b) insulin; (c) glucose and ketone bodies.
Log in to join the discussion.
Loading…