Diabetes
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- Category: Science
- Date Submitted: 12/09/2010 10:39 PM
- Pages: 9
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Diabetes:
Diabetes is a chronic, lifelong disease that is marked by high levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood. (American Diabetes Association, www.ADA.org)
Insulin is a hormone that is produced by the pancreas in order to control blood sugar. Diabetes is caused by having too little insulin in the blood, a resistance to insulin, or both.
The purpose of sugar in the body is to give people the energy they need to perform regular daily exercise, sports, and even just normal everyday housework. Sugar is transferred into the body by the food that a person eats and digests. When the body is unable to regulate the levels of sugar in the blood then the body loses its energy.
In the course of the digestion process the pancreas plays a significant role in the way that food is digested. In order for sugar to be able to get into the blood cells insulin has to be available. Insulin is produced in the pancreas; this is a large gland that is found behind the stomach.
The pancreas’ main function is to automatically produce the correct amount of insulin needed to move the glucose received from the food into the cells of the body.
After the digestion of the food the sugar is known to pass into the bloodstream. Blood cells store and use the glucose for energy. Those people who suffer from diabetes produce very little or no insulin at all. Their cells do not respond correctly to the amounts of insulin that is needed to process the sugar in the food. Glucose often builds up in the blood and can be disposed of in the urine which results in the body losing its main fuel source so that very little or no energy is left.
There are three types of diabetes, Type one, type two, and gestational. Type one diabetes is most often diagnosed during childhood although some people are diagnosed in their early twenties. Daily injections for this type of diabetes are needed. It is thought that genetics, viruses, and autoimmune issues might play a role in the...
Diabetes is a chronic, lifelong disease that is marked by high levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood. (American Diabetes Association, www.ADA.org)
Insulin is a hormone that is produced by the pancreas in order to control blood sugar. Diabetes is caused by having too little insulin in the blood, a resistance to insulin, or both.
The purpose of sugar in the body is to give people the energy they need to perform regular daily exercise, sports, and even just normal everyday housework. Sugar is transferred into the body by the food that a person eats and digests. When the body is unable to regulate the levels of sugar in the blood then the body loses its energy.
In the course of the digestion process the pancreas plays a significant role in the way that food is digested. In order for sugar to be able to get into the blood cells insulin has to be available. Insulin is produced in the pancreas; this is a large gland that is found behind the stomach.
The pancreas’ main function is to automatically produce the correct amount of insulin needed to move the glucose received from the food into the cells of the body.
After the digestion of the food the sugar is known to pass into the bloodstream. Blood cells store and use the glucose for energy. Those people who suffer from diabetes produce very little or no insulin at all. Their cells do not respond correctly to the amounts of insulin that is needed to process the sugar in the food. Glucose often builds up in the blood and can be disposed of in the urine which results in the body losing its main fuel source so that very little or no energy is left.
There are three types of diabetes, Type one, type two, and gestational. Type one diabetes is most often diagnosed during childhood although some people are diagnosed in their early twenties. Daily injections for this type of diabetes are needed. It is thought that genetics, viruses, and autoimmune issues might play a role in the...