University of Cambridge
Biochemistry Part IA
Dr Yeo Summaries
Diabetes
Lecture 1: Clinical diabetes
➢ Glucose is filtered into urine when there is an abnormally high concentration of glucose in
the blood, exceeding the capacity of the kidneys to retain it and requiring large volumes of
fluid for its excretion
➢ Diabetes = Disease where blood glucose concentration is abnormally high
• When eating meals, a glucose spike follows as shown below
• For a healthy person, the spike is well controlled in an optimum range
• For diabetics, the spike is much bigger and retained for much longer. This leads to
abnormally high blood (plasma) glucose concentrations throughout the day
, Target blood glucose level ranges
➢ Insulin = protein = hormone
• Causes uptake of glucose by muscle and fat
• Insulin does not affect all tissues in the same way
• There are different responses in the brain versus the liver
Biochemistry Part IA
Dr Yeo Summaries
Diabetes
Lecture 1: Clinical diabetes
➢ Glucose is filtered into urine when there is an abnormally high concentration of glucose in
the blood, exceeding the capacity of the kidneys to retain it and requiring large volumes of
fluid for its excretion
➢ Diabetes = Disease where blood glucose concentration is abnormally high
• When eating meals, a glucose spike follows as shown below
• For a healthy person, the spike is well controlled in an optimum range
• For diabetics, the spike is much bigger and retained for much longer. This leads to
abnormally high blood (plasma) glucose concentrations throughout the day
, Target blood glucose level ranges
➢ Insulin = protein = hormone
• Causes uptake of glucose by muscle and fat
• Insulin does not affect all tissues in the same way
• There are different responses in the brain versus the liver
