What Diabetes Is

Much of the food you eat breaks down into a sugar called glucose. Glucose is also called blood sugar. It travels through your blood to reach your body's cells.

Your cells use glucose for energy. Insulin is a messenger made in the pancreas, an organ near your stomach. Insulin is like a key. It opens your cells so glucose can move in.

A blood vessel holds sugar cubes of glucose beside a big cell with a nucleus and one arched door. With insulin, a golden insulin key goes into the lock, the door swings open, and the sugar cubes move through the door and settle loosely inside the cell, which glows green. With no insulin, there is no key, the door stays shut and the glucose stays in the blood.

Diabetes is a long-term health problem where blood sugar stays too high. It can happen when the body makes too little insulin. It can also happen when the body cannot use insulin well. Sometimes it is both.

Over time, high blood sugar can harm the body, like rust slowly weakens metal. Your care team can help you make sense of your blood sugar.

Side-by-side panels compare type 1, type 2 and other types, showing how insulin use differs in each.

Key takeaways

• Much of your food breaks down into glucose, which travels in your blood.
• Insulin is a helper that moves glucose from your blood into your cells.
• Diabetes happens when insulin is too low, not used well, or both.

Try it

Before your next visit, jot down the word from this lesson you are least sure of and bring it along.