One effect of the hormone insulin is to cause liver cells to make glycogen. Assume the dissociation constant (Kd) for the interaction of insulin with its receptor is 10−7 M. A hypoglycemic patient’s insulin receptors have a Kd of 10−8. Why would such a patient have low blood sugar?
To determine: The criteria of low blood sugar level of a patient.
Introduction: The sugar level is the concentration of glucose level of the blood. Levels of the glucose are manipulated by the functioning of the pancreas. The pancreas regulates the glucose levels in the blood by the effect of insulin hormone.
Explanation of Solution
In the liver cells, the capacity of the proteins (insulin hormone) to bind the liver cell receptors is inversely proportional to the Kd. The smaller Kd in the patients represents strong binding with the liver receptor cells. This results in the high activity of the binding in the patients than the normal persons.
At a certain period of time, a person with smaller Kd shows the high interaction of insulin binding to the receptors. The rate of binding of the insulin molecules to the receptor cells emits the signal for the glucose entry to the cells. This event decreases the amount of glucose in the bloodstream of the person. Hence, Kd plays an important role in the regulation of blood sugar level of an individual.
Thus, the patient with Kd of 10-8 has low sugar level than the patient with Kd of10-7.
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