Diabetes And Diffusion

Diabetes and Diffusion

Carol Comyns

Stanbridge University

Assignment #1

Instructor: Vicky Sweet

DIABETES AND DIFFUSION 2

The first evidence of diabetes was found on an early Egyptian manuscript from 1500 BCE, however; it is only in the last 200 years that we understand what is happening at the cellular level in a diabetic individual (Polansky, 2012). We now know that diabetes is a complex disorder of genetic, chemical, and lifestyle factors that contribute to the body’s inability to utilize glucose for energy and cellular functions (ADA, 2013).

Our Patient

Mrs. Jones was admitted to the hospital for evaluation due to hyperglycemia related to diabetes. Her blood sugar was 350 and her physical exam revealed dry skin and mucous membranes.

On a cellular level, Mrs. Jones’ cells are dehydrated due to osmotic pressure changes related to her high blood glucose. Cells dehydrate when poor cellular diffusion of glucose causes increased concentrations of glucose outside of the cell and lesser concentrations inside of the cell. Diffusion refers to the movement of particles from one gradient to another. In simple diffusion there is a stabilization of unequal of particles on either side of a permeable membrane through which the particles move freely to equalize the particles on both sides. The more complex facilitated diffusion is a passive transport of large particles from a high concentration of particles to a lower concentration of particles with the aid of a transport protein (Porth, 2011). The cellular membranes in our bodies are semipermeable allowing for smaller molecules to flow freely from the intracellular to extracellular space. The glucose molecule, however; is too large to diffuse through the cellul...

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...the inside of the cell? If glucose molecules were able to move across the cell membrane unaided by a facilitating molecule then the concentration of glucose in the extracellular and intracellular environments would be equal. This is referred to as simple diffusion. In this case, there would not be any of the changes or symptoms we typically see with hyperglycemia. In fact, there would be no hyperglycemia. The balance of the glucose molecules on the inside and outside of the cells would be stable.

Glucose is the primary source of energy for the cells and consequently is necessary for all cellular functions that require energy. Facilitated diffusion plays a significant role in the management of concentrations of glucose, both intracellular and extracellular, providing a balance of glucose in the cells that when poorly utilized upsets the body’s homeostasis.