DISCUSSION ASSIGNMENT HS 2211 WEEK 4
After reading chapter 17 of the course material, I've chosen to talk about diabetes.
Diabetes is a chronic physiological disorder of the islet cells of the pancreas that affects how our
body converts food into energy. The majority of the food we consume gets converted to sugar and
released into our circulation. Diabetes is a long-term physiological disorder characterized by
elevated blood glucose levels that, if left untreated over time, can severely damage the heart.
blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves. Two hormones, Insulin and Glucagon, regulate blood
glucose or sugar levels. The body releases glucose into the bloodstream after breaking down
starches that we ingest in form of food or drinks. This glucose is absorbed by the cells with the
aid of insulin because it is required as fuel for tissue and cellular respiration. Any glucose that is
not immediately absorbed is converted to glycogen, a storage form of sugar, which is then stored
in the liver. When blood glucose levels begin to fall and the cells are no longer receiving the
necessary quantity of sugar, the liver releases the hormone glucagon, which breaks down the
glycogen in the body's reserves into a form that can be used by cells and is subsequently
absorbed. "If glucose is not used for fuel by cells right away, it can be stored as glycogen in the
liver and muscles or converted to triglycerides and kept in adipose tissue. The storage and use of
glucose are both regulated by hormones as needed" (OpenStax, 2018. P, 766). The two hormones
are produced by clusters of cells in the pancreas called the islet of Langerhans, Insulin is
produced by the beta cells located at the center while Glucagon is produced by the alpha cells
located at the periphery of the islet. In other words, diabetes can develop either because these
beta cells produce little to no insulin or because, despite blood insulin levels, the glucose
channels in the cell membranes are insulin-resistant and won't open for glucose to enter the
cytoplasm.
There are two main forms of diabetes: Type 1 diabetes or insulin-independent diabetes is
characterized by insufficient insulin production in the body. "Type 1 diabetes mellitus is due to
autoimmune -cell destruction, usually leading to absolute insulin deficiency" (Artasensi, et al.
2020. Para, 6). This is an autoimmune issue where T cells and other immune cells work together
to assault these beta cells and compromise their functionality. As a result, there will no longer be
any insulin produced, which implies that blood glucose levels will inevitably increase. This
condition can be treated by injecting the patient with artificial insulin. Type 2 diabetes, also
known as diabetes mellitus, is a physiological condition in which the body has problems
transporting glucose from the bloodstream into the cells because the glucose channels in the cell
membranes are insulin-resistant and won't open for glucose to enter the cytoplasm. The cells
require a continual supply of glucose as a source of energy, and