These are delivered one step at a time, and are accessible on mobile, tablet and desktop, so you can fit learning around your life. You can unlock new opportunities with unlimited access to hundreds of online short courses for a year by subscribing to our Unlimited package. Build your knowledge with top universities and organisations. Learn more about how FutureLearn is transforming access to education.
Learn more about this course. How the body produces glucose when we are fasting Describes the key pathways that the body uses to increase blood glucose concentrations in fasting healthy individuals. Glucose is our main source of energy and it is therefore important that there are physiological pathways in place to prevent blood glucose from dropping dangerously low when we are fasting, for example when sleeping at night.
Want to keep learning? This content is taken from University of Southampton online course. Share this post. See other articles from this course. This article is from the online course:. Confectioners use it in particular to make sweets and caramel, or in recipes in which the sugar must not be allowed to crystallise. In medicine, a glucose solution is often administered intravenously to deliver energy quickly to a patient.
Like other carbohydrates, whether simple or complex, glucose has an energy value of 4 kcal per gram. Starch is the main source of energy from our food.
We start digesting it in our mouths. Salivary amylase, an enzyme found in saliva, starts the hydrolysis of starch and produces a mix of polysaccharides, maltose and glucose.
This is the reason why, after a few seconds of chewing, a piece of relatively tasteless bread develops a certain sweet taste. This hydrolysis by amylase continues all the way to the stomach, then the m altase present in the small intestine splits the maltose molecules into two glucose molecules and completes the hydrolysis.
The glucose is then actively absorbed by the cells of the intestine and enters the bloodstream. When it arrives in the liver, part of it is used to synthesise glycogen, an energy reserve in the form of a polysaccharide made up of tens of thousands of glucose units. This glycogen can then be converted back into glucose released into the bloodstream as and when the body needs it.
This mechanism determines the level of glucose in the blood and is carefully controlled by two hormones, insulin and glucagon. These hormones inform the cells if they need to store or release glucose into the bloodstream to enable the body to function properly.
The concentration of glucose in the blood plasma is called glycaemia. Testing glucose levels is especially important for people with diabetes. Most people with the condition are used to dealing with blood sugar checks as part of their daily routine. One of the most common ways to test glucose at home involves a very simple blood test.
A finger prick, usually using a small needle called a lancet, produces a drop that is put onto a test strip. The strip is put into a meter, which measures blood sugar levels.
It can usually give you a reading in under 20 seconds. Maintaining glucose levels near the normal range is an important part of keeping your body running effectively and healthily. People who have diabetes have to pay special attention to their glucose levels. In situations where your glucose level is too high, insulin will help to bring it down.
For people with diabetes, too-high blood sugar is a sign that they may need to administer synthetic insulin. In less serious situations, physical activity can help lower your levels. This condition is also known as hypoglycemia, and it has the potential to be very serious.
Hypoglycemia can occur when people with diabetes skip their medication. It can also occur when people are eating less than normal and exercising excessively. Eating a meal or drinking juice can help to increase glucose levels. People with diabetes also often take glucose pills, which can be purchased over-the-counter at a pharmacy.
Learn more: Low blood sugar hypoglycemia ». There are long-term consequences for unregulated glucose levels. It can lead to a variety of conditions, including:. More serious complications include diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperglycemic hyperosmolar syndrome , both conditions related to diabetes.
Learn more: Diabetes tests ». Healthy glucose levels are an important part of keeping a body working at its best. Eating a healthy, well-rounded diet, supplemented with exercise, is essential. People with diabetes have trouble maintaining healthy and consistent glucose levels. A course of treatment can help.
0コメント