Endocrine System
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1.12 Diabetes – It is a metabolic disorder of the chemical reactions that are necessary for proper utilisation of food along with inadequate or lack of insulin. Normally, pancreas release insulin proportional to the amount of food you eat. The beta cells in the pancreas monitor blood glucose levels regularly and release the amount of insulin necessary to use the glucose in the blood. Excess glucose is stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen (reserve energy). In between meals, when the cells need energy, glycogen is converted back into glucose and used by the cells. Excess glucose reaches the adipose tissue and is converted into triglycerides which is stored in the form of fat leading to obesity. Broadly there are two types of diabetes – Type I Diabetes (Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM) results if your pancreas cannot make enough insulin to help glucose get inside your cells for providing energy. Type I diabetes is also called Juvenile Onset Diabetes because people develop Type I when they are children or teenagers. Type II Diabetes (Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM) results because the cells in the muscles, liver and fat are unable to use insulin properly. In TypeII the body does not produce enough insulin or what it does produce is defective and does not work properly or the cells ignore the insulin. Type II diabetes is usually associated with lifestyle disorders such as bad diet, sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise leading to obesity. 90% of diabetics have Type II diabetes and 10% have Type I diabetes. Lifestyle changes, dietary regulation, exercise and regular monitoring can help control or avoid the onset of diabetes.
The Pineal Gland
1.13 The pineal gland is a tiny organ lying in the centre of the brain and is thought to control body’s internal biological clock. The pineal gland produces a hormone whose production varies with periods of light and darkness in the surroundings. It obtains information about light in the environment by means of nerve pathways originating in the retina and other parts of the brain. Darkness stimulates the pineal gland’s production of the hormone. Therefore, the gland tends to secrete only small amounts of the hormone during the day and large amounts at night. Pineal gland also secretes a hormone that plays an important role in a person’s sexual development.
