Insulin drives glucose into liver glycogen while glucagon breaks that glycogen back down. Which hormone interaction does this show?
AThe permissive effect
BThe synergistic effect
CThe antagonistic effect
DThe calorigenic effect
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. The antagonistic effect
1. Two hormones with opposing effects on the same process interact antagonistically.
2. Insulin increases liver storage of glucose as glycogen and so lowers blood glucose.
3. Glucagon stimulates breakdown of those glycogen stores and so raises blood glucose.
4. A permissive effect would mean one hormone merely enables the other to act.
5. A synergistic effect would mean two similar effects amplifying each other, which is the opposite of what these two pancreatic hormones do.
_Source: OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology (CC BY 4.0), Ch 17 "The Endocrine System", section 17.2 Hormones_
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