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Biological Mechanisms of Hunger
What Causes Hunger: The Biological Mechanisms of Hunger
The biological mechanisms that trigger hunger are rather complex. In that regard, several theories have been proposed in an attempt to explain hunger and the biological mechanisms that control it. It is therefore important to note that the feeling of hunger has no single source. Indeed, as Pastorino and Doyle-Portillo (2012) point out; although the stomach plays a role in the initiation of hunger, it is not the only source of the same.
The liver according to Pastorino and Doyle-Portillo (2012) plays an important part in the regulation of hunger. This it accomplishes by closely monitoring not on the levels of glucose but also the levels of glycogen in the body. In basic terms, glucose (a form of sugar) is burnt by our bodies for energy. On the other hand, glycogen according to Pastorino and Doyle-Portillo (2012) "is the form of starch that we store along with fatty acids." Glucose deemed by the body to be in excess of the required amount is converted into glycogen and stored for future utilization...
As the authors further point out, the liver from time to time monitors our glucose and glycogen levels so as to determine our energy requirements. In this case the conversion of glucose into glycogen is often an indicator that our bodies have too much fuel. In such a case, the liver sends "signals to the brain to shut off hunger" (Pastorino and Doyle-Portillo, 2012). The authors on the other hand point out that when the liver finds out that we are eating into our energy reserves (as a result of the reconversion of glycogen to glucose); it signals the brain to trigger a hunger feeling.
It is also important to note that feelings of hunger can also be triggered by insulin. Insulin according to Pastorino and Doyle-Portillo (2012) is charged with the facilitation of "the movement of glucose from the blood into our cells, where it is metabolized." In that regard, the movement of glucose into the cells triggers a decline in the level of glucose in the blood. Hunger is initiated when the body starts using up the glycogen reserves.
According to…
References
McGuire, M. & Beerman, K.A. (2009). Nutritional Sciences: From Fundamentals to Food (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.
Pastorino, E.E. & Doyle-Portillo, S.M. (2012). What is Psychology? Essentials (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.
Wagner, H. (2004). Physiological Psychology. New York, NY: Garland Science.
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