e form of sugars. Once the sugars are circulating in your blood, the cells need to be able to admit the sugar. A hormone called insulin is the factor that makes this possible. Once the insulin lets the sugar into the cells, it is used to produce energy.
             Taking insulin out of the equation, the cells in your body cannot use sugar as they would normally. Consequently, they do not get enough energy. Not only do they not get enough energy, the sugar builds up in the blood because it has nowhere to go. When the sugar level in the blood rises to high levels and stays there for extended periods of time, the result is diabetes.
             Insulin Defined. All of the cells in a person's body are enclosed in a membrane. Insulin triggers the membranes to let them know that sugars are available in the blood. Insulin attaches itself to sites, called insulin receptors, like a key fits into a lock. Once the key is admitted, the cell's membrane unlocks to allow the flow of sugars to enter. It is then burned by the cells to produce energy. (Beaser, 1995)
             Diabetes is not contagious, which means that you cannot give it to anyone nor can it be caught. "It is believed that the susceptibility to diabetes is passed from generation to generation via genes, but not in any specific pattern. Heredity plays a stronger role in Type 2 diabetes (non-insulin-dependent) than in Type 1 diabetes (insulin-dependent), but the nature of these genetic factors and how they are inherited are not yet understood." (Milchovich & Dunn-Long, 1999, pg. 2)
             The pancreas is an organ that rests below and behind the stomach. An adult pancreas weighs less than half of a pound. Insulin is produced in the pancreas. The pancreas is somewhat shaped like a cone lying on its side. The end of the pancreas tapers off into the shape of a tail. About 100,000 islets of Langerhans, which are tiny tissues, are found inside of the tail of the pancreas. The islets co...