In this video we are going to talk about insulin and glucagon and what you need to know about
them for nursing school.
So before we get started, don't forget to hit that subscribe button and click the bell
so you don't miss out on any other nursing school tips and tricks.
Now, let's do it!
Okydoky, so you're probably heard these terms somewhere before: insulin and glucagon.
You'll hear them a LOT in nursing school.
So insulin is a hormone that's released by the pancreas that moves glucose into body
cells.
And glucose is just a big fancy word for sugar.
So when you eat a candy bar, there is a bunch of sugar in your blood.
So insulin goes all around the blood and grabs onto those sugar molecules, and moves them
into the cell.
Otherwise, the sugar wouldn't be able to get there!
Insulin is the key that unlocks the cell, without insulin, the sugar can't get into
the cell, because insulin is the key.
So insulin grabs onto the glucose, and shuffles it into the body cells, so that the cells
can use it for energy.
Now, another fancy thing that glucose does is it tells the liver to store glucose as
well.
So insulin goes and knocks on liver's door, and says, "Hey!
Can you please take up some of this glucose, sir.
We need to save it for later, just in case."
So the liver collects some of the extra glucose in the blood, to save it for later.
And it stores this glucose as glycogen.
So now we just added another "G" word, glycogen.
And all glycogen is, is stored up glucose.
So, now insulin's done it's job, it was able to move all of the glucose into the cells,
or have the liver store it as glycogen.
And now the cells are happy, they have the glucose they need for energy, and they are
going to use it as you go about your day.
So now it's a couple hours after you ate that candy bar, and you haven't eaten anything
since, and you're getting a little hungry.
Your cells are also running out of glucose, so they are running out of energy!
And here's where glucagon comes in: glucagon is another hormone released by the pancreas,
and his job is to go tell the liver to release some of his stored up glycogen.
So glucagon goes and knocks on liver's door, and says, "Hey liver!
The body cells are running out of energy, they need some more glucose!"
And this stimulates the liver to convert it's stored up glycogen into glucose for the cells
to use.
So glucagon's job is to tell the liver to break down glycogen into glucose for the cells
to use as energy.
Now, if this is all making sense to you about insulin and glucagon, write LOVE in the comments
below.
Now let's do some critical thinking around this:
Now that we know the roles of insulin and glucagon in the body: insulin moves glucose
into the cells, it is the key that unlocks the cells so that the glucose can go inside.
And glucagon tells the liver to break down some of it's stored up glycogen into glucose
for the cells to use, let's spell out when insulin and glucagon would be released.
We already hinted to it a bit, but we'll really spell it out here.
When it comes to high blood sugar, which hormone would you expect to be released?
Insulin or glucagon?
If you said INSULIN, you are absolutely right!
When the blood sugar is high in the body, meaning there is a lot of sugar floating around
waiting to move inside the cells, then insulin is going to be released to help move that
glucose inside of the cells to be used for energy.
Now, on the flip side, when the blood sugar is LOW, which hormone would you expect to
be released?
Insulin or glucagon?
GLUCAGON!
Because glucagon is going to go tell the liver to convert glycogen into glucose and increase
the blood sugar level, because the blood sugar level is too low.
If this critical thinking exercise is helping you understand insulin and glucagon more,
write LOVE in the comments below.
I want to hear from you!
And that is the role of insulin and glucagon in the body: insulin's job is to move glucose
into the body cells, and glucagon's job is to tell the liver to break down some of it's
stored up glycogen into glucose for the body cells to use.
Now make sure you download the med-surg study checklist, which will walk you through, step-by-step,
how to study med-surg in nursing school.
That link is down below for you to snag it.
As always, thank you so much for watching, friend.
Now go become the nurse that God created only YOU to be, and I'll catch you right back here
next time on the nursing school show, take care.