Question

describe jaundice and its role in liver ?

Difference between glucagon and insulin? how this is excreted?

Answer 1

1. Jaundice or icterus is the medical term for the yellowishness of the skin and sclera of the eyes. Also there will be dark colored urine and skin itching. Jaundice is a symptom indicating that the bilirubin levels are high in your system. Bilirubin is the by product of RBC break down and it occurs in the liver.

Jaundice indicates that there is important problem with the function of your liver, gall bladder, pancreas or RBC s. The major cause for jaundice is inflammatory condition of the liver. This may be due to infections, blood loss, medication or drug toxicity, autoimmune disease or alcohol or other toxic substances. The liver when inflamed or when the bile duct get obstructed, this leads to jaundice.

The patient may present with fatigue, lethargy, loss of appetite, nausea ,vomiting , ascites and highly elevated liver enzymes.

2. Insulin is produced by the beta cells of pancreas and glucagon is produced by the alpha cells of the pancreas. They are antagonistic hormones.

When the blood sugar levels are high, insulin gets released from the pancreas to the blood, and cause decrease in blood glucose levels. Insulin stimulate glycogen synthesis in the liver, promote uptake of glucose by liver and adipose tissue and also increase the glucose break down rate. These actions lead to the decrease in blood levels of glucose.

When the levels of glucose are low in the blood, like after strenuous work or fasting, Glucagon from the alpha cells of pancreas are released to the blood. They stimulate the breakdown of glycogen to glucose in the liver and effect the release of glucose by liver and adipose tissues to the blood. Glucagon also reduces glucose break down. All these cause the blood glucose levels in the blood to rise.

The excretion of insulin from the body is by the kidney and the liver. And also by its interaction with the insulin receptors present on liver, muscle and fat cells.

Glucagon is metabolized in the liver, kidney and plasma into smaller polypeptides and amino acids. Kidney and liver are through which Glucagon is excreted.