Discussion Questions Respond To Weekly Discussion Questions
Discussion Questionsrespondto Weekly Discussion Questions150 Wordsman
Discussion questions require students to respond to weekly prompts, typically involving explanation of biological concepts. The specific task involves selecting an endocrine gland and hormone, and explaining the gland's normal and abnormal functions and their effects on target organs for a younger audience, including an analogy. Additionally, there is a reference to completing a worksheet related to Type I and Type II Diabetes, based on Appendix E.
Paper For Above instruction
The endocrine system plays a vital role in regulating various body functions by releasing hormones that target specific organs. Among the endocrine glands, the pancreas is crucial as it releases insulin, a hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels. Under normal circumstances, the pancreas secretes insulin in response to rising blood glucose after meals, facilitating the uptake of glucose by cells for energy or storage. This process maintains blood sugar within a healthy range, ensuring proper body functioning.
However, in abnormal conditions such as diabetes, this process becomes impaired. In Type I diabetes, the body's immune system mistakenly destroys insulin-producing cells, leading to little or no insulin production. Without insulin, glucose cannot enter cells, resulting in high blood sugar levels, which can cause damage to organs like the eyes, kidneys, and nerves over time. Conversely, Type II diabetes involves the body's cells becoming resistant to insulin, despite its presence, causing similar elevated blood sugar levels and potential organ damage.
To explain this to a young patient, I would use the analogy of a key and a lock. Imagine insulin as the key and cells as locks. Normally, when you eat sugar, your pancreas releases insulin like a key that unlocks the cells, allowing blood sugar to enter and be used for energy. In diabetes, either the keys are lost (Type I), or the locks become sticky and resistant (Type II), so the sugar stays in the blood instead of entering the cells, causing health problems.
Understanding these mechanisms helps clarify how the endocrine system maintains health and how diseases like diabetes disrupt this balance. Managing blood sugar involves medications, lifestyle changes, and monitoring blood levels to keep the "locks and keys" working properly.
References
American Diabetes Association. (2020). Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2020. Diabetes Care, 43(Supplement 1), S1–S212. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc20-S001
Guyton, A. C., & Hall, J. E. (2016). Textbook of Medical Physiology (13th ed.). Elsevier.
Costanzo, L. S. (2018). Physiology (6th ed.). Elsevier.
Sherwood, L. (2015). Human Physiology: From Cells to Systems. Cengage Learning.
Kumar & Clark. (2017). Kumar and Clark's Clinical Medicine (9th ed.). Elsevier.
Yarbrough, J. G. (2019). The endocrine system and hormones. In Human Anatomy & Physiology (11th ed.). Pearson.
Murray, R. K., Bender, D. A., Botham, K. M., et al. (2018). Harper's Illustrated Biochemistry (31st ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Harvard Medical School. (2019). Understanding Diabetes. Harvard Health Publishing.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (2022). Diabetes Overview. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes