Page 44 - Clinical Biochemistry 08PB804

Chapter 4:

Diabetes mellitus

Outlines:

• Glucose homestasis
• Signs and symptoms of Diabetes Mellitus
• Types of Diabetes Mellitus
• Diagnosis of Diabetes

Diagnostic tools for diabetes mellitus

Dietary sources of glucose:

• The major source of dietary carbohydrate for humans is starch from consumed plant
material. This is supplemented with a small amount of glycogen from animal tissue.

• Digestion in the gut converts all carbohydrates to monosaccharides which are transported
to the liver and converted to glucose.

Fates of glucose

• It is catabolised to produce ATP.
• It is stored as glycogen: This storage occurs in liver and muscle.
• It is converted to fatty acids: Once converted to fatty acids, these are stored in adipose tissue
as triglycerides.

Glucose homestasis

• Homeostasis is the property of a system, either open or closed, that regulates its internal
environment. This can be achieved by either positive or negative feedback mechanisms.

• Negative feedback mechanisms consist of reducing the output or activity of any organ or
system back to its normal range of functioning. (i.e. regulating blood pressure, blood glucose
level and body temperature).

• Glucose is a monosaccharide which represents an essential biological energy source,
enabling the generation of ATP following glycolysis.

• Although many tissues can also use fats and proteins as a compact energy source, the brain
and red blood cells can only use glucose.