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After exercise, low levels of blood glucose can result in the release of glucagon (a hydrophilic hormone) from the pancreas - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 3 - 2014 - Paper 1
Question 3
After exercise, low levels of blood glucose can result in the release of glucagon (a hydrophilic hormone) from the pancreas. One site of glucagon activity is liver c... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:After exercise, low levels of blood glucose can result in the release of glucagon (a hydrophilic hormone) from the pancreas - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 3 - 2014 - Paper 1
Step 1
Describe how hydrophilic hormones, such as glucagon, stimulate a metabolic process, such as glycogenolysis, inside a cell.
Answer
Hydrophilic hormones like glucagon bind to specific receptors on the surface of target cells, such as liver cells. This binding initiates a signaling cascade within the cell, often involving secondary messengers like cAMP.
Once activated, this cascade triggers various enzymes responsible for breaking down glycogen into glucose. For glycogenolysis specifically, the enzyme glycogen phosphorylase is activated, which catalyzes the cleavage of glucose units from glycogen. As a result, glucose is released into the bloodstream, thereby increasing blood glucose levels.