How do hormones act together to control blood glucose concentration?

Answer 1

The two hormones that are mainly responsible for controlling blood glucose levels, insulin and glucagon. When glucagon is released into the bloodstream, the liver is forced to convert stored glycogen to glucose and then release it into the bloodstream. Insulin has the opposite effect. When glucose levels rise (like after eating a meal containing carbohydrates), insulin is released from the pancreas into the bloodstream. Insulin causes liver, muscle and fat tissue to take up glucose in order to stabilize the blood glucose level.

If one can't produce insulin or their insulin is not working as it should, a diagnosis of Diabetes is set. A diabetic can't lower their blood glucose level by natural means and must their fore avoid eating carbohydrates and/or take insulin shots. Having a too high blood glucose level can be dangerous and sometimes fatal.

Consequences of having a too high blood glucose level (hyperglycemia):

• Frequent hunger, especially pronounced hunger
• Frequent thirst, especially excessive thirst
• Frequent urination
• Blurred vision
• Fatigue(sleepiness)
• Weight loss
• Poor wound healing (cuts, scrapes, etc.)
• Dry mouth
• Dry or itchy skin
• Tingling in feet or heels
• Erectile dysfunction
• Recurrent infections, external ear infections (swimmer's ear)
• Cardiac arrhythmia
• Lack of critical cognitive function and level of consciousness
• Coma
• Seizures

Consequences of having a too low blood glucose level (hypoglycemia):

• Shakiness, anxiety, nervousness
• Palpitations, tachycardia
• Sweating, feeling of warmth (although sweat glands have muscarinic receptors, thus "adrenergic manifestations" is not entirely accurate)
• Pallor, coldness, clamminess
• Dilated pupils (mydriasis)
• Feeling of numbness "pins and needles" (paresthesia)
• Hunger, borborygmus

• Nausea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort
• Headache
• Abnormal mentation, impaired judgment

• Nonspecific dysphoria, moodiness, depression, crying, exaggerated concerns
• Negativism, irritability, belligerence, combativeness, rage
• Personalitychange, emotional lability
• Fatigue, weakness, apathy, lethargy, daydreaming, sleep
• Confusion, amnesia, dizziness, delirium
• Staring, "glassy" look, blurred vision, double vision
• Flashes of light in the field of vision
• Automatic behavior, also known as automatism
• Difficulty speaking, slurred speech
• Ataxia, incoordination, sometimes mistaken for "drunkenness"
• Focal or general motor deficit, paralysis, hemiparesis
• Paresthesia, headache
• Stupor, coma, abnormal breathing
• Generalized or focal seizures
• Dysmenorrhea

Answer 2

Hormones such as insulin and glucagon work together to regulate blood glucose concentration. Insulin helps lower blood glucose levels by promoting its uptake into cells, while glucagon increases blood glucose levels by stimulating its release from stored sources like the liver. These hormones work in a coordinated manner to maintain blood glucose within a normal range.