Question

A patient was complaining of frequent urination excessive thirst, hunger and tiredness. His fasting blood was found higher than 130 mg/dL on two occasions. 

(i) Name the disease. 

(ii) Give the root cause of this disease, 

(iii) Explain why the blood glucose level is higher than 130 mg/dL.

Answer 1

(i) The disease is diabetes mellitus. 

(ii) The failure of the ß-cells of the islets of Langerhans of pancreas to produce adequate amounts of insulin is the root cause of this disease.

(iii) Undersecretion of insulin impairs of the following functions : Utilisation and uptake of glucose by adipocytes and hepatocytes, conversion of glucose into glycogen by the above target cells.