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Regulation of Insulin Secretion and Islet Cell Function

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Atlas of Diabetes

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Abstract

The β cells of the islets of Langerhans are the only cells in the body that produce a ­meaningful quantity of insulin, a hormone that has evolved to be essential for life, exerting critical control over carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism. Islets are scattered throughout the pancreas; although they vary in size, they typically contain about 1,000 cells, of which approximately 70% are β cells. A human pancreas contains about one million islets, which comprise only about 2% of the mass of the pancreas. Insulin is released into the portal vein, which means the liver is exposed to particularly high concentrations of insulin.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Islet Cell and Regenerative Biology Department, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Gordon C. Weir MD (Investigator/Professor of Medicine), Susan Bonner-Weir PhD (Investigator/Professor of Medicine) & Arun Sharma PhD (Investigator/Assistant Professor of Medicine)

Authors
  1. Gordon C. Weir MD
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  2. Susan Bonner-Weir PhD
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  3. Arun Sharma PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gordon C. Weir MD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Endocrinology,, Diabetes & Metabolism, University of Miami, Miami, 33136, Florida, USA

    Jay Skyler

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Weir, G.C., Bonner-Weir, S., Sharma, A. (2012). Regulation of Insulin Secretion and Islet Cell Function. In: Skyler, J. (eds) Atlas of Diabetes. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1028-7_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1028-7_1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-1027-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-1028-7

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