What is Type 1 Diabetes? Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder where lymphocytes, a part of the immune system, destroy cells in the pancreas that create insulin. This type of diabetes usually happens in children and adolescents. There is another type 2 diabetes which works a bit differently.
What's so Important About Insulin? Insulin is a hormone that "unlocks" the cell membrane so glucose, a sugar that is brought into the cell for energy, kind of like a key unlocking a door so someone can get inside. Your cells need glucose to work.
What's a "Cell"? A cell is the basic unit of living things. You are made of trillions of cells that do all kinds of things. Your cell needs glucose, a type of sugar to create energy for itself.
How Does Blood Sugar Work? Blood sugar is simply how much sugar, glucose specifically, is in your blood. To stay healthy, you should have a certain amount of sugar in your blood. People with diabetes have problems maintaining blood sugar. Insulin is used to lower your blood sugar, but some people have tablets or drink juice to raise their blood sugar.
This is a picture of a cell membrane. GLUT-4 is a transport protein and it is sent by insulin reacting with receptors on the cell. GLUT-4 helps glucose enter the cell. Less GLUT-4 is triggered with a deficient insulin amount, like in type 1 diabetes, so less glucose can enter the cell.