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This case study explores the topics of diffusion, osmosis, membrane transport, and the physiological significance of glucose and insulin in the human body. The story begins with a high school athlete, Timmy, who is incredibly efficient at metabolizing carbohydrates for energy; this is where the reader is introduced to normal carbohydrate digestion and metabolism for energy within skeletal muscle cells. As Timmy enters college, he withdraws from sports and physical activity but continues to consume massive amounts of highly soluble carbohydrates, resulting in insulin resistance and ultimately type II diabetes. Throughout the case students are prompted with conceptual questions and interactive figures that require the application and transfer of information they have been introduced to. Originally written for intermediate and advanced physiology courses that cover foundational and complex concepts in science, the case is also appropriate for courses in intermediate biology, nutritional sciences, animal sciences, and exercise sciences.

This animation describes insulin resistance, an underlying cause of type 2 diabetes. It explains the roles of glucose and the hormone insulin in our body. Symptoms of diabetes are reviewed and various health complications that type 2 diabetes can lead to if left untreated.

In this video Paul Andersen explains how the chloroplast in plants harnesses power from the Sun to form high energy molecules like glucose. The structure of a chloroplast as well as a brief discussion of the light reaction and Calvin cycle are included.

5:37 video A hearty bowl of cereal gives you the energy to start your day, but how exactly did that energy make its way into your bowl? It all begins with photosynthesis, the process that converts the air we breathe into energizing glucose. Cathy Symington details the highly efficient second phase of photosynthesis -- called the Calvin cycle -- which converts carbon dioxide into sugar with some clever mix-and-match math.

Cancer cells are hungry. To feed their rapid growth and division, their metabolism changes. Moreover, they use sugar (glucose) in a different way to normal cells. This animation, created by Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, explores the key aspects of the altered metabolism in cancer cells and explains how these can be exploited for the development of new anticancer strategies.

Scientists work with animal models to better understand type 2 diabetes to treat the disease. They have developed specialized animal models that mimic the condition.  One line of mice, known as KK mice, develop obesity and glucose intolerance that lead to type 2 diabetes. Another rodent model, the Zucker diabetic fatty rat, is bred to be a precise model of human type 2 diabetes.

Learn how the light dependent and light independent cycles work together to create glucose for plants. We'll also explain why this is so important for humans! Get ready to start cooking with photosynthesis.

What an incredible transformation. A protein used to help bones mend can also force pancreatic cells into producing insulin. The discovery could help people with type 1 diabetes produce their own insulin without having to take daily injections. In type 1 diabetes, beta cells in the pancreas that make insulin - the hormone that keeps our blood glucose levels at a safe concentration - are destroyed by the immune system. As a result, people with the disease have to inject themselves daily with insulin. Now, researchers have discovered that non-beta cells in the pancreas can be transformed into insulin-producing cells, merely by exposing them to a growth factor called BMP-7.

This animation shows how glycolysis converts glucose into pyruvate through a series of enzyme reactions. It is the first of six animations about cellular respiration. These animations bring to life the molecular engines inside mitochondria that generate ATP, the main source of chemically stored energy used throughout the body.

Hands on lab activities

3 minutes to understand how important insulin is for your body

Series of review handouts from Living Systems Regents course