Which pancreatic hormone raises blood sugar?

• A. Glucagon
• B. Insulin
• C. Somatostatin
• D. Amylin

Answer: (A)

The main idea is how pancreatic hormones regulate blood glucose, particularly which one increases it when levels are low. Glucagon is released from pancreatic alpha cells when blood sugar drops. It signals the liver to release glucose by breaking down stored glycogen (glycogenolysis) and by producing new glucose from non-carbohydrate sources (gluconeogenesis). This action raises blood sugar, acting as the counter-regulatory hormone to insulin. Insulin does the opposite, promoting glucose uptake into cells and storage, thereby lowering blood sugar. Somatostatin modulates the release of both insulin and glucagon but doesn’t raise blood glucose on its own. Amylin, co-secreted with insulin, mainly slows gastric emptying and helps regulate postprandial glucose, not directly increasing blood sugar. So the hormone that raises blood sugar is glucagon.