When blood glucose levels are high, the pancreas releases
[ Select ]
insulin
pancreatic juices
glucagon
to induce the liver and body to take up circulating glucose. When blood glucose is low, the pancreas releases
[ Select ]
insulin
glucagon
to induce the liver to increase blood glucose levels.

Question

When blood glucose levels are high, the pancreas releases 
[ Select ]
insulin
pancreatic juices
glucagon
 to induce the liver and body to take up circulating glucose. When blood glucose is low, the pancreas releases 
[ Select ]
insulin
glucagon
 to induce the liver to increase blood glucose levels.

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Insulin is released by pancreatic beta cells in response to high blood glucose, so the first blank is insulin; glucagon is released by pancreatic alpha cells when blood glucose is low, so the second blank is glucagon.

1) Relevant knowledge points and concepts
- The pancreas has endocrine cells (islets of Langerhans) that regulate blood glucose: beta cells secrete insulin, alpha cells secrete glucagon.  
- Insulin lowers blood glucose by promoting glucose uptake (GLUT4 translocation) into muscle and adipose tissue, and by stimulating hepatic glycogenesis and inhibiting gluconeogenesis.  
- Glucagon raises blood glucose by stimulating hepatic glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis and promoting lipolysis.  
- Pancreatic juices are exocrine secretions (digestive enzymes) from acinar cells and do not directly regulate blood glucose.

2) Step-by-step reasoning
- High blood glucose: circulating glucose is detected by pancreatic beta cells → beta cells release insulin → insulin binds receptors on liver, muscle, adipose → increases glucose uptake and storage as glycogen, decreases hepatic glucose output → blood glucose falls toward normal.  
- Low blood glucose: detected by pancreatic alpha cells → alpha cells release glucagon → glucagon acts mainly on the liver to break down glycogen and synthesize new glucose → blood glucose rises toward normal.

3) Calculations
- Not applicable for this conceptual physiology question.

4) Why the correct answers are correct
- Insulin is the hormone whose primary role is to induce tissues and the liver to take up and store glucose when levels are high. Glucagon is the counter-regulatory hormone whose primary role is to increase hepatic glucose production when levels are low. These actions restore glucose homeostasis.

5) Why the other option(s) are incorrect
- “Pancreatic juices” are digestive secretions (enzymes, bicarbonate) produced by exocrine pancreas; they do not function as hormones to regulate blood glucose. Thus they cannot be released to lower blood glucose.

6) Conclusion
- Therefore the correct fills are: first blank = insulin; second blank = glucagon, which matches the provided answer ["insulin", "glucagon"].

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