Critical Thinking Questions
- Describe how metabolism can be altered.
- Describe how Addison’s disease can be treated.
- Explain how glucose is metabolized to yield ATP.
- Insulin is released when food is ingested and stimulates the uptake of glucose into the cell. Discuss the mechanism cells employ to create a concentration gradient to ensure continual uptake of glucose from the bloodstream.
- Discuss how carbohydrates can be stored as fat.
- If a person with diabetes that has breath smells like alcohol, what could this mean?
- Amino acids are not stored in the body. Describe how excess amino acids are processed in the cell.
- Release of trypsin and chymotrypsin in their active form can result in the digestion of the pancreas or small intestine itself. What mechanism does the body employ to prevent its self-destruction?
- In type II diabetes, insulin is produced but is nonfunctional. These patients are described as “starving in a sea of plenty,” because their blood glucose levels are high, but none of the glucose is transported into the cells. Describe how this leads to malnutrition.
- Ketone bodies are used as an alternative source of fuel during starvation. Describe how ketones are synthesized.
- How does vasoconstriction help increase the core temperature of the body?
- How can the ingestion of food increase the body temperature?
- Weight loss and weight gain are complex processes. What are some of the main factors that influence weight gain in people?
- Some low-fat or non-fat foods contain a large amount of sugar to replace the fat content of the food. Discuss how this leads to increased fat in the body (and weight gain) even though the item is non-fat.