Type 1 and 2 diabetes

Question 1

How many islets of Langerhans are there in the pancreas?

Answer 1

1 million

Question 2

How much of the pancreas do the islets of Langerhans take up?

Answer 2

1-2%

Question 3

What are the cells in the islets of Langerhans called?

Answer 3

Alpha cells
Beta cells
Delta cells

Question 4

What do the alpha produce?

Answer 4

Glucagon

Question 5

What do the beta cells produce?

Answer 5

Insulin

Question 6

What do the delta cells produce?

Answer 6

Somatostatin

Question 7

Characteristics of type 1 diabetes:

Answer 7

Beta cells are destroyed
C peptide is absent
Starts in children and young adults.
No insulin produced.

Question 8

Characteristics of type 2 diabetes:

Answer 8

Problems with secreting insulin.
Beta cells are weakened.
Insulin insufficiency
Starts in middle aged and old people.

Question 9

What is C-peptide?

Answer 9

A blood test to see how much insulin is in the body. In type 1 patients this would be absent. In Type 2 this will be present.