Dr. Rood showed us the power of NEGATIVE FEEDBACK by a simple experiement using his own body - and it's ability to manage the level of blood sugar in his system. A person should maintain a normal level of blood sugar. If that level gets too high, or too low, your body reacts in order to help get the levels back to normal. The body reacts by employing a "Negative Feedback Loop."
Dr. Rood had a blood sugar level of 104 at the beginning of the experiment. He then ate a snickers candy bar, and drank sprite soda. He tested his blood sugar levels every 5 minutes, in order for us to see how his body used its built in negative feeback loop in order to balance his blood sugar. The blood sugar tests showed how his blood sugar initially rose, but then after 20 minutes, his body was able to begin bringing his blood sugar back down to a normal level.
Here is a quick summary lesson about our body's blood sugar and how it works:
Glucagon increases the amount of glucose in the blood by accelerating the rate at which the liver converts stored glycogen into glucose and releases it into the blood. Insulin decreases the amount of glucose in the blood by transporting glucose from the blood and into the muscle cells. It also stimulates the conversion of glucose back into glycogen so that it can be stored. Receptors in the pancreas detect the amount of glucose in the blood, and this in turn stimulates either the secretion of glucagon or insulin. Control is based on a negative feedback loop. Glucagon causes an increase in blood sugar, and that in turn stimulates the beta cells to secrete insulin as the levels rise too much. This is the "negative feedback" loop.
When Dr. Rood ate the snicker's bar and drank some SPRITE, he tested his increase in Blood sugar. Every 5 minutes, as more of the sugar he ate began to be absorbed into his system, his blood sugar level rose. It reached a level of 185 after 15 minutes. His body reacted, by secreting "insulin" in order to help return the level of Dr. Rood's blood sugar back down to normal levels. Insulin causes a decrease in blood sugar. This control or "negative feeback" maintains a balance of blood sugar that protects the body from the damaging effects of levels getting too high.
Here is the Graph we were asked to attach that illustrates the negative feedback -
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