Assignment task: Robert is a diabetic. He has been told he may end up needing to inject insulin every day if his plasma glucose levels are not managed correctly. Robert's family is having trouble understanding the new diagnosis and has questions about how plasma glucose levels are regulated in the body normally.
Q1. Which hormone is released in the fasted state? Where is this hormone released from, be specific? What are the target cells for this hormone? Briefly explain one cellular response occurring in the target cells during the fasted state and relate the response to the homeostatic regulation of plasma glucose.
Q2. In terms of absorbing nutrients, such as glucose, where does the absorption of glucose occur within the gastrointestinal tract (GIT)? What are the cells called that absorb nutrients in this location of the GIT? Where are brush border enzymes located and how do they contribute to the absorption of nutrients?