(iv) 35 Diabetes Mellitus, Hpyo-Insulinism, Hypoglycaemia
- Christina Benson
- Jun 16, 2023
- 1 min read
The task of maintaining normal levels of glucose (simple sugar) in the blood is a very complicated one; but the average 35-50 units of insulin that the average adult secretes into the circulation every day are a principal factor. Insulin is produced by the Islets of Langerhans, about 1.5 million of them clustered on the wall of the pancreas. More specifically, it is produced by the beta cells that form about 75% of the mass (about 1 gramme) of the Islets. Whenever absorption of glucose from the gut exceeds its use as fuel for the production of energy, insulin is required to enable body tissues, especially the liver and muscles to absorb glucose to replace what is being consumed as energy, or to be stored as glycogen for future needs. Insulin likewise enables fat cells to absorb glucose and fatty acids and store them as fat for future needs. Thirdly, insulin enables body tissues to absorb amino acids to build or replace protein in the cells. Diabetes stems from a gross shortage.
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