The hormone which changes glucose into glycogen is known as?

Appeared in: NHM UP Staff Nurse - 2017

Explanation

Insulin is a hormone secreted by the beta cells of the pancreas in response to high blood glucose levels.
It promotes the uptake of glucose by liver and muscle cells.
Insulin stimulates the process of glycogenesis, which is the conversion of excess glucose into glycogen for storage.
This action effectively lowers the concentration of glucose in the blood.
The image provided visually confirms this pathway, showing insulin release leading to the liver storing glucose as glycogen.

Option A: Glucagon has the opposite effect of insulin. It raises blood glucose levels.
Option C: Thyroxin's primary role is to regulate the body's overall metabolic rate, not specifically to manage the conversion of glucose to glycogen.
Option D: Heparin is an anticoagulant, a medication used to prevent blood clots. It has no function related to glucose metabolism.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Hormonal regulation of blood glucose helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Understanding insulin's function is fundamental to managing diabetes mellitus. In Type 1 diabetes, the body doesn't produce insulin, and in Type 2, the body doesn't use insulin effectively. Insulin therapy aims to mimic the body's natural glucose control.
Nurses must carefully monitor patients on insulin therapy for signs of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), a potential side effect if the dose is too high or if the patient's food intake or activity level changes.
What if the patient has liver disease? Severe liver disease can impair glycogenesis (storing glucose as glycogen) and glycogenolysis (releasing glucose), leading to unstable blood glucose levels (both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia), making diabetes management more complex.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key terms in the question: 'hormone', 'changes glucose into glycogen'. This points to a specific metabolic process.
Recall the main hormones involved in blood sugar regulation: insulin and glucagon.
Differentiate between their functions. Remember 'Insulin' helps get glucose 'in-to' the cells and into storage (glycogen). 'Glucagon' acts when glucose is 'gone' from the blood, to raise it.
Evaluate the given options based on this understanding. Insulin promotes storage (glucose to glycogen). Glucagon promotes release (glycogen to glucose).
Eliminate options with unrelated functions, such as Thyroxin (metabolism) and Heparin (anticoagulant), to confirm the correct answer.

Concept Tested & Keywords

QXIppDmJ1P4WPovV-7r8Q1

E6 Physiology Guyton 4SAE Part 3 pp. 2-4, 5-7

E6 Biochemistry U Satyanarayana— Part 2 (pp 421-820 of 840) p. 305-307

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