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Question #45473

Difficulty: 8/10 | 🟢 Free

The Question

An oncogenic mutation in the $\beta$ -cells of the Islets of Langerhans leads to the continuous, unregulated hypersecretion of insulin. Despite the body's initial endocrine compensatory mechanisms, the patient eventually suffers from severe metabolic exhaustion and irreversible hypoglycemia. Which of the following best describes the sequence of systemic fallout causing this terminal metabolic failure?

Options

A.
Chronic hypoglycemia $\rightarrow$ Continuous glucagon release $\rightarrow$ Depletion of hepatic glycogen stores $\rightarrow$ Failure of compensatory glycogenolysis
B.
Hyperinsulinemia $\rightarrow$ Stimulation of hepatic gluconeogenesis $\rightarrow$ Depletion of amino acid reserves $\rightarrow$ Cellular starvation
C.
Hypoglycemia $\rightarrow$ Direct suppression of $\alpha$ -cells $\rightarrow$ Complete absence of circulating glucagon $\rightarrow$ Irreversible hypoglycemic shock
D.
Hyperinsulinemia $\rightarrow$ Downregulation of target cell receptors $\rightarrow$ Paradoxical hyperglycemia $\rightarrow$ Exhaustion of $\beta$ -cells

Check Your Answer

Correct Answer

Step-by-Step Solution

Explanation

How the Examiner Thinks

Regulatory_Failure

Understand how NOT, EXCEPT, and logical constraints are used to manipulate exam results.

Concepts Behind This Question

Insulin vs Glucagon Effects|Oncogenes vs Proto-oncogenes|Hormone Half-life Logic

Why This Question Is Tricky

Common Mistakes

Conceptual Pivot: Students must synthesize the antagonistic relationship between insulin and glucagon with the concept of substrate limitation.

The trap lies in assuming the pathology is solely due to insulin's direct action, rather than the exhaustion of the compensatory mechanism (glucagon-driven glycogenolysis) due to finite hepatic glycogen reserves.

Quick Facts About This Question

Question Information

Subject	Biology
Chapter	Chemical Coordination and Integration - Class 11
Concept	Hormone Half-life Logic
Difficulty	8
Cognitive Load	5
Target Solve Time	120 sec
Access	Free