1. A man with insulin-dependent diabetes is brought to the emergency room in a n
ID: 184921 • Letter: 1
Question
1. A man with insulin-dependent diabetes is brought to the emergency room in a near-comatose state. While vacationing in an isolated place, he lost his insulin medication and has not taken any insulin for two days. (a) For each tissue listed below, is each pathway faster, slower, or unchanged in this patient, compared with the normal level when he is getting appropriate amounts of insulin? (b) For one pathway in each tissue, describe one control mechanism responsible for the change you predict. Tissue and Pathways 1. Adipose: fatty acid synthesis 2. Muscle: glycolysis; glycogen synthesis 3. Liver: glycolysis; gluconeogenesis; glycogen synthesis; fatty acid synthesisExplanation / Answer
(a) In comparison with the normal condition of insulin level and lower level insulin (insulin-dependant diabetic patients has Lowe level of insulin in their blood).
(b) In adipose tissue, insulin increases the fat synthesis and storage of them. In lower level of insulin, lipid molecules are degraded to fatty acids and glycerol. Hence, fatty acids level in this patient will be higher and the rate of synthesis of fatty acids will be faster.
In muscle, glucose are converted to glycogen by the action of insulin. In this patient, there are less insulin in his blood. So, the rate of glycogen synthesis in muscle will be lower.
In liver, gluconeogenesis process is occurred. Gluconeogenesis is a metabolic pathway where glucose molecules are synthesised from non-glucose source like fatty acids and proteins. Gluconeogenesis process is mainly controlled by glucagon not by the insulin. So, the Gluconeogenesis rate remains unchanged.
Adipose Muscle Muscle Liver Liver Liver Liver Fatty acid synthesis Glycolysis Glycogen synthesis Glycolysis Gluconeogenesis Glycogen synthesis Fatty acid synthesis faster slower slower slower unchanged slower slowerRelated Questions
Navigate
Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.