NTP Blood Sugar Regulation & Metabolic Balance 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What hormone is primarily responsible for lowering blood glucose levels after a meal?
- Glucagon
- Insulin (Correct answer)
- Cortisol
- Epinephrine
Correct answer: Insulin
Insulin is secreted by pancreatic beta cells in response to rising blood glucose and facilitates cellular uptake of glucose, thereby lowering blood sugar levels.
Question 2: What is the primary storage form of glucose in the liver and muscle tissue?
- Sucrose
- Fructose
- Glycogen (Correct answer)
- Lactose
Correct answer: Glycogen
Glycogen is a branched polysaccharide that serves as the stored form of glucose — in the liver for blood sugar maintenance and in muscles for local energy use.
Question 3: The glycemic index (GI) of a food measures:
- The total carbohydrate content of a food
- How quickly a food raises blood glucose compared to pure glucose (Correct answer)
- The amount of insulin required to process a food
- The fiber content of carbohydrate-containing foods
Correct answer: How quickly a food raises blood glucose compared to pure glucose
The GI ranks foods on a 0–100 scale based on how rapidly they raise blood glucose compared to pure glucose, which serves as the reference value of 100.
Question 4: Insulin resistance is best described as:
- The pancreas producing insufficient insulin
- Autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells
- Reduced cellular responsiveness to insulin's signal (Correct answer)
- Excessive clearance of insulin by the kidneys
Correct answer: Reduced cellular responsiveness to insulin's signal
Insulin resistance occurs when cells in muscle, fat, and liver become less responsive to insulin's signal, requiring the pancreas to produce more insulin to maintain normal blood glucose levels.
Question 5: Which macronutrient has the most significant direct impact on postprandial (after-meal) blood glucose levels?
- Fat
- Protein
- Carbohydrates (Correct answer)
- Alcohol
Correct answer: Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose during digestion and are the primary macronutrient that directly and rapidly raises blood glucose levels after a meal.
Question 6: What is the primary role of glucagon in blood sugar regulation?
- Stimulates cellular glucose uptake by activating GLUT4 transporters
- Promotes glycogen synthesis in the liver after meals
- Raises blood glucose by stimulating glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis in the liver (Correct answer)
- Inhibits cortisol secretion from the adrenal glands
Correct answer: Raises blood glucose by stimulating glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis in the liver
Glucagon, secreted by pancreatic alpha cells during low blood sugar, stimulates the liver to break down glycogen (glycogenolysis) and produce new glucose (gluconeogenesis), raising blood glucose levels.
Question 7: Which trace mineral is a key component of glucose tolerance factor (GTF) and is known to enhance insulin sensitivity?
- Calcium
- Iron
- Chromium (Correct answer)
- Zinc
Correct answer: Chromium
Chromium is a component of glucose tolerance factor (GTF), which potentiates insulin action and improves glucose uptake by cells, making it critical for healthy blood sugar regulation.
NTP Blood Sugar Regulation & Metabolic Balance 1
What hormone is primarily responsible for lowering blood glucose levels after a meal?