Chemical Coordination And Integration
Following a carbohydrate-rich meal, blood glucose rises sharply; the pancreatic hormone secreted to restore normal levels lowers blood sugar primarily through which combination of actions?
Select the correct option:
Solution
Enhancing cellular glucose uptake and glycogenesis
Blood glucose homeostasis is maintained chiefly by two antagonistic pancreatic hormones. NCERT Class 11, Chapter 22 (Chemical Coordination and Integration) explains that when blood glucose rises, the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans secrete insulin, which lowers blood sugar by enhancing the uptake of glucose into cells, especially hepatocytes and adipocytes, and by promoting glycogenesis, the conversion of glucose into stored glycogen. Stimulating glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis is incorrect because these glucose-raising processes are driven by glucagon, the antagonistic hormone secreted when glucose falls, so that option describes the opposite response. Increasing water reabsorption in kidney tubules is the function of antidiuretic hormone and is unrelated to glucose regulation, making it wrong. Raising basal metabolic rate in all tissues is an action of thyroid hormones and does not specifically lower blood glucose, so it does not fit the post-meal scenario. Hence enhancing cellular glucose uptake and glycogenesis is correct. A homeostatic plausibility check supports it: to counter a rise in blood glucose, the appropriate response must remove glucose from the blood, exactly what increased uptake and storage as glycogen accomplish.
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About This Question
- Subject
- biology
- Chapter
- human physiology
- Topic
- chemical coordination and integration
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Year
- 2025
Solution
Correct Answer:
Enhancing cellular glucose uptake and glycogenesis
Blood glucose homeostasis is maintained chiefly by two antagonistic pancreatic hormones. NCERT Class 11, Chapter 22 (Chemical Coordination and Integration) explains that when blood glucose rises, the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans secrete insulin, which lowers blood sugar by enhancing the uptake of glucose into cells, especially hepatocytes and adipocytes, and by promoting glycogenesis, the conversion of glucose into stored glycogen. Stimulating glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis is incorrect because these glucose-raising processes are driven by glucagon, the antagonistic hormone secreted when glucose falls, so that option describes the opposite response. Increasing water reabsorption in kidney tubules is the function of antidiuretic hormone and is unrelated to glucose regulation, making it wrong. Raising basal metabolic rate in all tissues is an action of thyroid hormones and does not specifically lower blood glucose, so it does not fit the post-meal scenario. Hence enhancing cellular glucose uptake and glycogenesis is correct. A homeostatic plausibility check supports it: to counter a rise in blood glucose, the appropriate response must remove glucose from the blood, exactly what increased uptake and storage as glycogen accomplish.
This medium difficulty biology question is from the chapter human physiology, covering the topic of chemical coordination and integration. It appeared in the 2025 exam.
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