BIOL 1107 Lecture Notes - Lecture 61: Diabetes Mellitus Type 1, Insulin Receptor, Gluconeogenesis
Document Summary
The cecum and appendix: the cecum is an outpocketing of the digestive tract located at the start of the large intestine. The cecum is greatly enlarged in species such as rabbits and leaf-eating primates that use it as a fermentation chamber for processing cellulose. In humans, the cecum is dramatically reduced in size and functions in defense against invading bacteria and viruses. Because its size and function differ from those of a cecum, it is called. The disease is caused by problems with a hormone called insulin. Insulin"s role in homeostasis: insulin is produced in the pancreas when blood glucose levels are high. In response to insulin, cells increase their rate of glucose uptake and processing, decreasing blood glucose levels: if blood glucose levels fall too much, cells in the pancreas secrete a hormone called glucagon. In response to glucagon, cells in the liver catabolize glycogen and produce glucose via gluconeogenesis (the synthesis of glucose from non-carbohydrate compounds).
