Blood sugar regulation cells in the pancreatic islets are among the most well understood and important. If the blood glucose level falls to dangerous levels (as during very heavy exercise or lack of food for extended periods), the alpha cells of the pancreas release glucagon, a hormone whose effects on liver cells act to increase blood glucose levels. They convert glycogen into glucose (this process is called glycogenolysis). The glucose is released into the bloodstream, increasing blood sugar. Hypoglycemia, the state of having low blood sugar, is treated by restoring the blood glucose level to normal by the ingestion or administration of dextrose
Christian de Duve to maintain normal blood sugar level. His idea was ridiculed at the time. But his rediscovery of glucagon confirmed his ideas. In 1953 he experimentally demonstrated that glucagon did influence the production and thus uptake of glucose. Christian de Duve continued his research on insulin mechanism of action in liver cells. He and his team focused on the enzyme glucose 6-phosphatase, which is the key enzyme in sugar metabolism (glycolysis) and the target of insulin. They found out that it was the principal enzyme in regulating blood sugar levels. However, they could not purify and isolate the enzyme from the