Explain how blood glucose levels are controlled in people who do not have diabetes

Blood glucose levels are controlled by homeostasis. When people eat foods that contain a lot of starch/sugar, their blood glucose will rise above a normal level. This will be detected by cells in the pancreas, and endocrine glands within this organ secrete a hormone called insulin into the bloodstream. Insulin makes the bodies cells more permeable to glucose so it moves into the cells, therefore reducing the concentration of glucose in the blood. In the liver (insulin's target organ) and muscle cells this glucose is converted to glycogen which can be stored. The glucose levels fall back within the normal range and insulin release stops. This is known as negative feedback. If levels of blood glucose fall below a normal range, the pancreas secretes a different hormone called glucagon which converts the stored glycogen back to glucose which is released back into the bloodstream. When blood glucose levels have risen to within normal range, glucagon secretion ceases.