Question

Diabetes mellitus is characterized by:
A. Increase of sugar in blood
B. Increase of sugar in urine
C. Decrease of sugar in blood
D. Both A and B

Answer 1

Insulin and glucagon are peptide hormones that help in regulation of the blood glucose levels in the body. Insulin and glucagon work hand-in-hand to balance the blood sugar levels, keeping them in the normal range that the body requires. Glucagon is secreted from the Alpha cells of islets of Langerhans whereas insulin is secreted from Beta cells of islets of Langerhans present inside the pancreas.

Complete answer:
Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease that causes the levels of sugar in the blood circulation. The hormone insulin removes sugar from the blood into the cells to be stored or used for energy. If the person has diabetes, he/she might not be able to have enough insulin to remove the excess sugar so most of it is not stored or utilized for energy production. Hence, the person feels fatigue and irritability. Diabetes is of two types: Type I or Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus or IDDM. In this condition, the production of insulin is almost nil or very low from the pancreas itself. So due to the absence of enough insulin, the levels of blood glucose rise. This is a juvenile type of diabetes.
Type II or Non-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus is a condition in which insulin is produced in sufficient amounts but the receptors that receive and bind with insulin are very low. So, the action of insulin is reduced and there is an insulin overload in the body. This usually occurs in older people. If these conditions are left untreated, then the high blood sugar from diabetes can damage the nerves, eyes, kidneys, and other organs.
Increase of sugar in blood- Diabetes is a condition in which blood glucose level is increased due to reduced or insufficient activity of insulin. This condition is called hyperglycemia.
Increase of sugar in urine- Due to excessive sugar in blood, kidneys start filtering out this sugar into the urine. This is one of the characteristic traits in Diabetes mellitus.
Decrease of sugar in blood- Decrease of sugar in blood is known as hypoglycemia and is due to excessive activity of insulin in the body. This might sometimes lead to insulin shock and further in coma. This condition is more life-threatening than hyperglycemia.
Both A and B- There is an increase of sugar in both, blood and urine.

Hence, the correct answer is option (D) Both A and B.

Note:
The signs and symptoms of Diabetes Mellitus include frequent urination, excessive thirst, extreme weight loss, exhaustion, etc. An important indication of diabetes is when an external injury occurs it is difficult and takes longer time than usual to heal. When the person is hypoglycemic i.e., the blood sugar levels are lower than the normal range, then, he/she might experience dizziness and might also go into coma due to insulin shock.