The Functions of the Pancreas
The pancreas is the body part that controls the sugar level in the body. It is located in the abdomen, tucked behind the stomach. The shape of it is very odd, fat at one end and slender at the other and almost 25cm long. The pancreas is positioned on the opposite side of the liver. The color of it is pink, the head has a duct that allows the digestive compounds to flow into the small intestine near the stomach. The tail is left toward our spleen, a lymphatic organ that acts as our blood blank. The pancreas produces compounds that digest food after preparation by stomach acids.
Internal secretions including insulin and glucagon helps control the blood sugar level. The pancreas cells that produce insulin are called
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In most cases diabetes comes from being overweight, obesity and lack of exercise. When you are diagnosed with diabetes, you have to always be aware of symptoms. You can develop all type of skin disorders, eye, feet and nerve problems. That is why it is important that you get you regular checkups.
Treatment and Care of Diabetes Type 2
In the case of diabetes, it is the most common disease, but everyone has different needs and care. Diabetics have to make sure to do a blood glucose test before and after every meal. It is a way to measure and manage the blood sugar level. It is good to keep a personal record of your blood sugar any time it is checked. It is also important for you check your blood sugar if you are pregnant, taking insulin or having low blood sugar levels. You can also do urine checks called “ketones”. This test is not as accurate as the blood test and should be administered if a sugar test is not possible or if you are extremely sick and your diabetes are out of
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Diabetes Type 2 is a very serious disease. Following care plans and treatments have to be followed continuously. If you manage the care right you can prevent serious life threathing complications.
There are ways to avoid type 2 diabetes. It is important to stay focused on things that you are able to change, your diet plan and how much you exercise. Try not to focus on things that you cannot change and have no control over such as you age or family history.
In some cases people have prediabetes, which means they are on the verge of developing Type 2 Diabetes but still will be able to turn it around. There are some people who are not over weight that have developed type 2 Diabetes. There was a study conducted that showed being overweight or obese is not the only thing that is a risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. In fact the study showed over 15 years of being active, exercising at least 30 minutes a day and five times a day with a low fat diet helps with diabetes
There are many symptoms of type one diabetes. They include drinking irritability, excessive urination, extreme weight loss, feeling very hungry or tired, sores that don’t heal and blurry eyesight. The cause of type one diabetes is unknown, although genetic tendency and childhood infections are two possibilities. The pancreas undergoes a change and cells that normally produce insulin are destroyed. This may be a result of the body’s own immune system believing the pancreas is a foreign organ. Also, type one diabetes often appears at times of physical stress and during illness when the body produces extra ...
Diabetes Mellitus can be diagnosed through blood work. Blood is drawn from the patient and tested.
Our body obtains the energy by digesting the carbohydrates into glucose. Volumes of glucose are required by the body to create ATP. ATP is short for 'Adenosine Triphosphate ' and is an energy carrier. When we consume too many carbohydrates our body produces a lot of glucose and as a result blood glucose levels rise and sometimes they may rise over the normal range of blood glucose concentration. To bring it back within the healthy range, the homeostatic system of blood glucose regulation is used. The blood flows through the pancreas where the beta cells, receptors, detect the high blood glucose level. To counteract this stimuli beta cells alert the control centre, which are also the beta cells located in the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. The secretion of insulin has to be done quickly but can only be carried out when insulin gene is switched on. Turning on the insulin gene switch can take 30 minutes to an hour therefore, the production of insulin by beta cells are done in advance and are packaged in vesicles right until blood glucose rises. Glucose comes into the beta cell to trigger the vesicle that contains the insulin to move towards the plasma membrane and fuse. This releases the insulin into the bloodstream where they are distributed throughout the body and only affect specific target cells. The receptor, a protein, on the target cell’s plasma membrane recognises and connects
An estimate of 171 million people have diabetes and that number is expected to double by 2030. Diabetes affects how your body uses glucose. Unmanaged, this can lead to rapid dehydration, coma, and death. However today one can manage diabetes by controlling one’s diet and if necessary taking injections of insulin.
Diabetes Mellitus is a disease of the endocrine system primarily differentiated between type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce insulin and was previously seen in the younger generation which is no longer the case.1 Type 2 diabetes is the more prevalent of the two types and involves elevated blood sugar levels due to the insufficient production of insulin. Risk factors that make an individual higher risk for type 2 diabetes include increasing age, obesity, family history, a sedentary lifestyle.1,2 Innovative drug therapies for type 2 diabetes remain important for the treatment and reduction of the disease.
Sometimes diabetes is something that u cant control because it can be hereditary meaning if one of your family members had it then u have a possible chance of getting it. In some cases we
The pancreas is composed of exocrine and endocrine tissues. The exocrine portion of the pancreas synthesizes and secretes pancreatic juices. The endocrine portion is composed of miniscule islands of cells, called the islets of Langerhans. These islets of Langerhans do not release their secretions into the pancreatic ducts. Instead, they release hormones into the blood stream, and these hormones in turn help control blood glucose levels (Function of the Pancreas). Beta cells of the islets of Langerhans secrete insulin, which
Diabetes is a disease in which a person’s body in unable to make or utilize insulin properly which affects blood sugar levels. Insulin is a hormone that is produced in the pancreas, which helps to regulate glucose (sugar) levels, break down carbohydrates and fats, and is essential to produce the body’s energy. The CDC (2013) offers reliable insight, summarized here, into the different types of diabetes, some causes, and health complications that may arise from the disease.
All in all, my mother’s family who suffered from diabetes were considered to be obese. Although medications, exercise, or dieting will not for sure cure anyone, had they taken better precautions it is possible they may have lived a longer life. Being a genetic trait in my family I find it important to work out and watch what I eat so that I can avoid getting any types of diabetes. Make it your goal to be aware of what you are doing in your everyday life because you never knew if what you eat or do today will affect you tomorrow.
Preventing diabetes is possible, and somewhat easy. Studies have shown that 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week can decrease your chances of getting diabetes, as well as eating healthier. Keeping a nutrition log and a fitness journal are good starts to help the motivation for preventing diabetes. Watching your sugar intake is also a good thing to do if you’re trying to prevent this
The pancreas has two functions; to make enzymes that help digest fats and proteins and the other, to produce insulin that controls the blood sugar level called glucose. It consists of Islet cells (1 of 3 types), which are endocrine glands. This means the Islet cells secret the insulin directly into the blood stream. The pancreas contains many more of these Islet cells than the body needs to maintain a normal insulin level. Even when half of the pancreas is removed, the blood sugar level can still remain normal. The pancreas is also made up of exocrine glands, which produce enzymes for digestion.
Diabetes is becoming an increasing problem in the United States, with half of all Americans becoming either diabetic or pre-diabetic. Treatments for Type-1 diabetes include taking insulin to help increase your glucose levels (blood sugar), eating healthy, maintaining healthy weight, and monitoring your daily levels. Type-2 treatments include most of Type-1’s treatments (excluding the taking of insulin) and in some cases a special diabetes medication or insulin therapy (Type-2).... ... middle of paper ...
Blood glucose levels are the measurement of glucose in an individual’s blood. This is important because glucose is the body’s main source of fuel and the brains only source of fuel. Without energy from glucose the cells would die. Glucose homeostasis is primarily controlled in the liver, muscle, and fat where it stored as glycogen. The pancreas is also a significant organ that deals with glucose. The pancreas helps regulate blood glucose levels. Alpha-islet and beta-islet pancreatic cells measure blood glucose levels and they also regulate hormone release. Alpha cells produce glucagon and beta cells produce insulin. The body releases insulin in response to elevated blood glucose levels to allow the glucose inside of cells and
According to Krisha McCoy on her article: The history of Diabetes; “In 150 AD, the Greek physician Arateus described what we now call diabetes as "the melting down of flesh and limbs into urine." From then on, physicians began to gain a better understanding about diabetes. Centuries later, people known as "water tasters" diagnosed diabetes by tasting the urine of people suspected to have it. If urine tasted sweet, diabetes was diagnosed. To acknowledge this feature, in 1675 the word "mellitus," meaning honey, was added to the name "diabetes," meaning siphon. It wasn't until the 1800s that scientists developed chemical tests to detect the presence of sugar in the urine”.
The pancreas uses these two hormones in order to monitor blood glucose levels. After a meal, blood glucose usually rises. This is when insulin secretion will start (Nussey S, Whitehead S. “Endocrinology: An Integrated Approach”). Consequently, blood glucose decrease to the normal range. This is how insulin maintains blood levels when is high. However, when blood level falls below normal range, glucagon comes into play. Low blood glucose occurs usually when hungry and during exercise. This will then triggers glucagon secretion. When blood level falls, the body goes into imbalance. Hence is why in order to maintain homeostasis glucagon is crucial. The body will tell the pancreas to increase more glucose and the pancreas will secrete glucagon by taking glycogen from the liver to produce glucose. The glucose will produce energy and will make blood glucose concentration increase (Homeostasis of Insulin and Glucose, Abpischools.org). When the pancreas cannot maintain homeostasis, many problems will arise in the body. When the pancreas fails to produce insulin, type 1 and 2 diabetes can occur. For those with type 1 diabetes, insulin injections will be needed in order to regulate blood glucose level, otherwise, glucose levels will be out of control. For type 2 diabetes, they are not insulin dependent like type 1, however, the body does not create enough in the body. When blood glucose