Diabetes and Glucose Regulation

Diabetes and Glucose
Regulation
Teema Rahhal, Jessica Habesch, Jinin Jayyoussi, Shahed Dbaian
Type 1 Diabetes
What is Type 1 Diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin. If you have
type 1 diabetes, your pancreas doesn't make insulin or makes very little insulin. Insulin is a hormone
that helps blood sugar enter the cells in your body where it can be used for energy. Without insulin,
blood sugar can't get into cells and builds up in the bloodstream. Having too much sugar in the blood
for long periods of time can cause serious health problems if it's not treated. Hyperglycemia (an
excess of glucose in the bloodstream, often associated with diabetes) can damage the vessels that
supply blood to vital organs, which can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, kidney disease,
vision problems, and nerve problems.
Type 1 Diabetes
Causes:
Different factors, including genetics and some viruses, may contribute to type 1 diabetes. Although
type 1 diabetes usually appears during childhood or adolescence, it can develop in adults. The exact
cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown. Usually, the body's own immune system — which normally fights
harmful bacteria and viruses — mistakenly destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Other
possible causes include genetics and exposure to viruses and other environmental factors.
Type 1 Diabetes
Risk Factors:
Some known risk factors for type 1 diabetes include:

 Family history. Anyone with a parent or sibling with type 1 diabetes has a slightly increased risk of
developing the condition.
 Genetics. The presence of certain genes indicates an increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes.
 Geography. The incidence of type 1 diabetes tends to increase as you travel away from the
equator.
 Age. Although type 1 diabetes can appear at any age, it appears at two noticeable peaks. The first
peak occurs in children between 4 and 7 years old, and the second is in children between 10 and
14 years old.
Type 2 Diabetes
Definition:

•Type 2 diabetes is deficiency in the body's capacity to control and utilize sugar (glucose) as a fuel
source. An excessive amount of sugar circulates in the bloodstream as a result of this long-term
sickness. High blood sugar levels can harm the circulatory, neurological, and immunological systems,
among other things. The pancreas does not produce enough insulin — a hormone that regulates
the movement of sugar into your cells — and cells respond poorly to insulin and take in less sugar.
Type 2 diabetes was traditionally known as adult-onset diabetes, however both types 1 and 2
diabetes can begin in childhood or later in life.

•Type 2 diabetes has no cure, but it can be managed by losing weight, eating a healthy diet, and
exercising. If food and exercise aren't enough to keep the blood sugar under control, diabetes
medications or insulin therapy may be necessary.
Type 2 Diabetes
Symptoms:

The symptoms and signs usually appear gradually. Increased thirst, frequent
urination, increased hunger, unintentional weight loss, weariness, blurred vision,
slow-healing wounds, recurrent infections, numbness or tingling in the hands or
feet, and darker skin (usually in the armpits and neck) are some of the indications
and symptoms that may be present.
Type 2 Diabetes
Causes:

The main two causes behind type two diabetes are:

- insulin resistance develops in muscle, fat, and liver cells. These cells do not take in enough sugar
because they do not interact normally with insulin.
- The pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin to manage blood sugar levels.
- Being overweight, obese, or not active physically
- Genes and family history
- Genetic mutations
- Hormonal diseases
- Damage to or removal of the pancreas
- Medicines
The Differences Between Type 1 and Type 2
Diabetes
Blood Glucose Concentration
Blood Glucose concentration:
The concentration of glucose in the blood must be kept at a set point. The body converts the
carbohydrates from food into glucose, a simple sugar that serves as a vital source of energy. This can
increase the concentration of glucose in a person’s blood. The concentration of glucose in a person’s
blood can decrease after exercising or if they have not eaten for a long while. Glucose diffuses out
of the blood into the muscle cells and is then broken down to release energy for muscle
contractions.
Blood sugar levels are a measure of how effectively the body uses glucose.
Effects:
If the blood glucose concentration rises too high, then cells can lose water. Which could interfere
with cell activity.
If the blood glucose concentration falls to a very low point, then body cells will not receive as much
glucose and thus will not be able to release so much energy in respiration.
• Insulin & Glucagon:
 The concentration of glucose in the blood is regulated by the actions of the hormones insulin and glucagon.
These hormones are made in the pancreas and act on cells in the liver.
 Together, insulin and glucagon help maintain a state called homeostasis in which conditions inside the body
remain steady.
 When blood sugar is too high, the pancreas secretes more insulin. When blood sugar levels drop, the
pancreas releases glucagon to raise them.
 This balance helps provide sufficient energy to the cells while preventing the nerve damage that can result
from consistently high levels of blood sugar.
How Insulin Regulates Blood Sugar Levels:
 Insulin gives glucose access to the cells. It attaches to the insulin receptors on cells throughout the body,
instructing the cells to open and grant entry to glucose.
 Low levels of insulin constantly circulate throughout the body. A spike in insulin signals to the liver that
blood glucose is also high. The liver absorbs glucose then changes it into a storage molecule called
glycogen.
 When blood sugar levels drop, glucagon instructs the liver to convert the glycogen back to glucose, causing
blood sugar levels to return to normal.
Summary:
 Insulin and glucagon work in a cycle. Glucagon interacts with the liver to increase blood sugar, while insulin
reduces blood sugar by helping the cells use glucose.
 When the body does not convert enough glucose, blood sugar levels remain high. Insulin helps the cells
absorb glucose, reducing blood sugar and providing the cells with glucose for energy.
 When blood sugar levels are too low, the pancreas releases glucagon. Glucagon instructs the liver to release
stored glucose, which causes blood sugar to rise.
Citation
• "Type 1 Diabetes - Symptoms And Causes". Mayo Clinic, 2022,
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-1-diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-
20353011.
• "What Is Type 1 Diabetes?". Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, 2022,
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/what-is-type-1-diabetes.html#:~:text=What%20Causes
%20Type%201%20Diabetes,years%20before%20any%20symptoms%20appear.
• "What's The Difference Between Type 1 And Type 2 Diabetes?". Life Line Screening, 2022,
https://www.lifelinescreening.com/health-education/diabetes/type-1-type-2-diabetes.
• “What's the Difference between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes?” Life Line Screening, 13 Jan.
2022, https://www.lifelinescreening.com/health-education/diabetes/type-1-type-2-diabetes?
sourcecd=WNAT003.
•
Citation
• Osborn, Corinne O'Keefe. “What Are the Differences between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes?” Healthline, Healthline
Media, 28 Oct. 2020, https://www.healthline.com/health/difference-between-type-1-and-type-2-diabetes.
• Staff, M.C., 2021. Type 2 diabetes. Mayo Clinic. Available at:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-2-diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20351193[Accessed
January 20, 2022].
•
• Anon, Symptoms & causes of diabetes. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Available
at: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/symptoms-causes#type[Accessed January 20,
2022].
•Citation:
 “Insulin and Glucagon: How They Regulate Blood Sugar Levels.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International,
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/316427#ideal-blood-sugar-levels.
• URL: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/316427#ideal-blood-sugar-levels
•
 “Blood Glucose Regulation - Maintaining Stable Body Conditions - National 4 Biology Revision - BBC Bitesize.”
BBC News, BBC, www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/znc6fg8/revision/5#:~:text=The%20concentration%20of
%20glucose%20in%20the%20blood%20is%20regulated%20by,the%20body's%20glucose%20'reservoir'.

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Diabetes and Glucose

Some known risk factors for type 1 diabetes include:

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