Carolyn N. Kinder
Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism, which is the way our bodies' use digested foods for growth and energy. When we eat, the digestive juices break down food into a simple sugar called glucose. Glucose is the major source of fuel used by cells. Glucose enters the bloodstream where it is accessible for cells to use for growth and other functions. However, glucose cannot get into the cell unless insulin is present. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas. The pancreas is a large organ located behind the stomach. In a normal functioning pancreas, the right amount of insulin is produced to move glucose into the cells. In an abnormal pancreas, little or no insulin is produced, or the body cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced. Glucose builds up in the blood flows over into the urine, and passes out of the body. This causes the cells in the body to lose it main source of fuel, even through the blood contains large amounts of glucose.