How might a specific hormone, such as secretin, become deficient or defective?
Secretin is a polypeptide, meaning that it is comprised of several amino acids linked together in a specific linear sequence by peptide bonds. If there is a problem with secretin function, it could be that the structure of this hormone (the sequence of amino acids) has somehow been altered or denatured, resulting in reduced efficiency. Or, a shortage of a specific amino acid needed to synthesize secretin could result in a shortage of secretin. What might be the secretin connection to glucose supply and energy metabolism? If pancreatic enzymatic activity is short-circuited due to insufficient secretin secretion, carbohydrates might not be fully degraded into monosaccharides. And since only monosaccharides (glucose, fructose and galactose) can be absorbed into the mucosal cells of the intestine, this might result in insufficient glucose entering the bloodstream. Also, if amino acids are not being properly broken down and absorbed, due to a reduced release of bicarbonate, the glucose form
