Video Transcript
The figure shows a person having
their blood sugar level measured. What endocrine disease are they
likely to have? (A) Gigantism, (B) goiter, (C)
diabetes, or (D) dwarfism.
To answer this question, let’s
first make sure we understand what an endocrine disease is. Hormones are chemical messengers
released in the bloodstream by our endocrine glands in order to adjust the functions
of cells in the body to keep us healthy. Inappropriate amounts of hormones,
either too many or too few, can have serious consequences for our health and cause
endocrine diseases. In fact, many diseases are caused
by malfunctions of endocrine glands. For example, let’s see what happens
if the pancreas doesn’t work properly.
Glucose that we absorb from our
food is an important source of energy for our cells and circulates in the blood. The pancreas constantly monitors
the level of blood glucose. If the level of glucose rises, the
pancreas releases a hormone called insulin. Insulin then instructs cells of the
body to uptake the glucose from the blood. Insulin also stimulates the liver
to store the glucose in the form of glycogen.
If the level of blood glucose
decreases, the pancreas releases a different hormone called glucagon. Glucagon stimulates glycogen
breakdown in the liver to release glucose into the blood.
For various reasons, the pancreas
of some patients can stop secreting insulin. This can cause the level of blood
glucose to remain too high, which then results in many health issues. This condition is called
diabetes. It can be treated by injections of
insulin that have to be done at the appropriate time and in the right amount. This is why patients with diabetes
are required to have their level of glucose measured regularly, as illustrated by
the figure in the question.
Goiter, gigantism, and dwarfism are
endocrine diseases that do not usually cause abnormal glucose levels in the
blood. Therefore, a person that needs to
have their blood sugar level measured is likely to have diabetes. So our correct answer is (C),
diabetes.
