preview

Insulin Type 1 Diabetes

Decent Essays

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas. It is a large gland that is located in the abdomen behind the stomach. Insulin is produced by special cells called pancreatic islets (or islets of Langerhans), which exist as small isolated clumps of cells within the pancreas. Insulin is produced by the beta cells of the pancreatic islets and is released when we have just eaten a meal and the level of glucose in our bloodstream is high. Insulin works by stimulating the cells within our body to take up the glucose in our blood, either for immediate energy, or for storing as glycogen in the liver or muscles cells.
The islets of Langerhans also produce glucagon, another hormone which affects blood glucose levels. Glucagon is produced by the alpha …show more content…

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the immune system wrongly identifies and subsequently attacks pancreatic cells that produce insulin, leading to little or no insulin production. This life-long disease requires daily monitoring and self-treatment. The two main methods are insulin injections and portable insulin pumps.
Type 2 diabetes used to be known as non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and adult-onset diabetes, but it is increasingly common in children, largely due to children being more likely to be obese or overweight. In this condition, the body usually still produces some insulin, but this is not enough to meet demand, and the body’s cells do not properly respond to the insulin. The latter effect is called insulin resistance, where persistently elevated blood glucose has caused cells to be overexposed to insulin, making them less responsive or unresponsive to the hormonal messenger. People with type 2 diabetes require regular monitoring and on-going treatment to maintain normal or near-normal blood sugar levels. Treatment includes life-style adjustments, self-care measures and medications, which can minimize the risk of diabetes-related and cardiovascular complications (e.g. heart attack and

Get Access