Control of Blood Glucose Concentration

Blood glucose concentration is monitored and controlled by the pancreas. The pancreas is an endocrine gland (making and secreting hormones in the bloodstream) and it also plays a vital (but separate) role in digestion (making and secreting enzymes into the digestive system).

Blood glucose concentration must be kept within a narrow range, so its another example of homeostasis (like temperature control)

Eating foods containing carbohydrate results in an increase of glucose into the bloodstream. If the blood glucose concentration is too high, the pancreas produces the hormone insulin to bring it back down

• Too high a level of glucose in the blood can lead to cells of the body losing water by osmosis, which can be dangerous

Insulin stimulates cells to take in glucose from the bloodstream (particularly liver and muscle cells). In liver and muscle cells excess glucose is conv

Converted into glycogen ( a polymer of glucose) for storage