What Happens To My Pancreas In Type Two Diabetes ? What’s Going On? Yikes!
When ultimately faced with a diagnosis of Diabetes , education and knowledge is extremely important. The pancreas is often a bit of a mystery for most people. This thing of interest anatomically is located in the abdomen and secretes hormones. The most famous secretion is insulin. However, understanding this gland can help patients understand their diagnosis. This pancreas is known an endocrine gland. Its primary function is secretion of pancreatic fluid following eating. Inside the pancreas, though, are some other small clusters of tissue that relate to insulin production. These go by the name of the islets of Langerhans.
The islets of Langerhans contain four different types of cells: beta, alpha, delta, and gamma. The beta cells produce the insulin . Insulin performs many functions. It helps some cells then convert glucose into glycogen, which those cells use for energy. It helps convert certain amino acids into protein. It works in fat cells to soak up glucose and aids in turning it into fat. Also, it can help reduce appetite in the hypothalamus gland. Insulin’s part in gluclose regulation and contris how it relates directly to diabetes. Diabetes develops either when the islets of Langerhans stops producing insulin or when the muscle cells begin to lose their ability to process insulin efficiently.
Type 2 diabetes develops when muscle cells begin to lose their ability to process insulin efficiently. In normal cases, the muscle cells absorb the glucose and use insulin to turn it into glycogen. In those with diabetes, the muscle cells only convert a small portion of the glucose. For a short time, the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas will increase production of insulin. However, that is indeed not sustainable in the long term. Gradually, the amount of excess glucose begins to build in the blood stream. This condition is called insulin resistance. The cells require more insulin to convert the same amount of glucose.
In those with type 2 diabetes, over time, in the pancreas, the beta cells in the islets of Langerhans that produce the insulin begin to decline over time. Therefore, the quantity of insulin produced diminishes. This exacerbates the insulin needs that many patients in the later stages of the disease now have. To directly approach this, science looks tries hard to restore the level of insulin produced. Hence, one area of scientific research underway looks at the possibility of transplanting healthy islets of Langerhans into the pancreases of people with Diabetes Type 2. Subsequently, there have been no successful transplants, but it is something that may certainly occur in the future.













