Insulin is much more widely spoken of than glucagon, but in fact they are opposite sides of the blood sugar equation.\u00a0 Your body uses insulin to lower blood glucose (blood sugar), and glucagon to raise it.\u00a0 The appropriate blood\u00a0glucose level is 1 mg\/ml, or 0.1%.<\/p>\n
When blood\u00a0sugar\u00a0rises above normal (just after a meal, for instance),\u00a0the pancreas releases insulin.\u00a0 Insulin causes liver, muscle, and fat cells to take in\u00a0glucose from the blood.\u00a0 The result:\u00a0 blood sugar is lowered.\u00a0 The liver cells convert the glucose to glycogen.\u00a0 The muscle cells\u00a0do the same, or else use the glucose to power their\u00a0efforts if they are working.\u00a0 The fat cells use the glucose to form fat.\u00a0 No matter which type of cell takes up the glucose, the glucose gets consumed.<\/p>\n
When blood sugar\u00a0drops below normal (such as between meals), the pancreas releases glucagon.\u00a0 Glucagon causes the liver to break down glycogen into glucose.\u00a0 The liver releases that glucose into the\u00a0bloodstream, raising blood\u00a0sugar.\u00a0 Glucagon also causes fat cells to break down fat into glycerol and fatty acids, which then get released in the blood.\u00a0 The liver takes up the\u00a0glycerol and fatty acids and converts them into glucose.\u00a0 The resulting glucose can be released into the blood to\u00a0increase blood sugar.\u00a0 Furthermore, glucagon\u00a0causes the liver to\u00a0burn fat and protein for its own energy needs, rather than burning\u00a0glucose.\u00a0\u00a0Hence, more glucose is left in the blood.<\/p>\n
Insulin and glucagon are both produced and secreted by sites in the pancreas called the islets of Langerhans.<\/p>\n
Source:\u00a0 Inquiry into Life,<\/em> 11th Edition, by Sylvia S. Mader.\u00a0 McGraw-Hill:\u00a0 2006.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Tutoring Biology 12, you talk about the hormones insulin and glucagon, which are used to control\u00a0blood sugar. Insulin is much more widely spoken of than glucagon, but in fact they are opposite sides of the blood sugar equation.\u00a0 Your body …<\/p>\n