What it means
Beta cells sit in small clusters in the pancreasPAN-kree-usA long, flat gland behind the stomach that makes digestive enzymes and the hormones insulin and glucagon.pan- allcreas fleshFull entry called the islets of Langerhans. When blood sugar rises after a meal, they release insulinIN-suh-linA hormone made by the pancreas that lets the body's cells take in glucose, also made as a medicine.Full entry , which helps the body's cells take up glucose. In type 1 diabetesTYPE WUN dy-uh-BEE-teezA form of diabetes in which the pancreas makes little or no insulin because the immune system has destroyed the cells that make it.Full entry the immune system destroys them; in type 2 diabetes they slowly wear out after years of insulin resistance.
At a glance
| Spanish | célula beta |
|---|---|
| Also written | beta cells, β cells, β cell |
Related terms
insulin
A hormone made by the pancreas that lets the body's cells take in glucose, also made as a medicine.
diabetes mellitus
A long-term disease in which blood glucose stays high because the body makes too little insulin or cannot use it well.
pancreas
A long, flat gland behind the stomach that makes digestive enzymes and the hormones insulin and glucagon.
type 1 diabetes
A form of diabetes in which the pancreas makes little or no insulin because the immune system has destroyed the cells that make it.