Question

After a meal, blood glucose increases. Increased blood glucose is the stimulus for a reflex pathway that releases insulin into the blood, and the response is decreased blood glucose. This is an example of which of the following?

a. Feedforward control
b. Negative feedback
c. positive feedback
d. Local control

Answer 1

The release of insulin after a meal to lower blood glucose levels is an example of a negative feedback loop, a regulatory mechanism that changes the direction of the stimulus to maintain homeostasis.

Step-by-step explanation:

After a meal, when blood glucose increases, the body releases insulin to decrease blood glucose levels. This response mechanism is an example of negative feedback. Unlike positive feedback, which maintains or accelerates the direction of the stimulus, negative feedback mechanisms work to change the direction of the stimulus and restore homeostasis.

When blood glucose levels are high, insulin is released, leading to the uptake of glucose by cells and storage in the liver, thereby lowering the blood glucose back to normal levels. This regulatory mechanism ensures that blood glucose levels do not continue to rise or fall beyond the normal range and is a classic example of how homeostatic balance is achieved through a negative feedback loop