Trident University
Michael Pilotin
Module 2 Case
ANT100 Stress and the Human Body
Dr. Pamela Wirth
February 2018
The Endocrine System and Chronic Disease
Introduction to the Pancreas The pancreas is an organ located deep into the abdomen. Part of the pancreas is located between the spine and the stomach while another part is nestled in the duodenum. The pancreas has two functional components as it is both an exocrine and endocrine gland. Majority of the pancreas are made up of exocrine cells which produces enzymes that aids in the digestion of food. These enzymes produced by the exocrine cells are secreted into a series of progressively larger tubes that will eventually join together to form the main pancreatic duct that…show more content… The systemic effect of cortisol is ensures that the body was able to carry out its normal function and maintain homeostasis.
Cortisol also plays a very crucial role in human nutrition. It is responsible for regulating the energy needed by the body by selecting the right amount of substrate for energy production. It is the one who select which among the body stores of carbohydrate, fat or protein will be used as source of energy depending on the state of the human body and its physiologic demand. Thus, when cortisol is constantly elevated, it can have a detrimental effect on the immune function, weight and increases risk for chronic disease.
During stressful, cortisol provides the body with energy in the form of glucose by using the protein stores via the process called gluconeogenesis which occurs in the liver. This energy helps the person to fight or flee from a certain stressor. However, when the body is constantly stressed, there will be continuous production of glucose leading to a consistently elevated blood sugar levels thus increasing the risk for Diabetes Type 2. The main function of insulin is to decrease the blood glucose level, however, the presence of cortisol makes the cells insulin resistant. Since there are high levels of glucose in the blood, the pancreas struggles to keep on producing insulin but the glucose levels remain high due…show more content… In type 1 diabetes mellitus, there is insufficient production of insulin by the pancreas while in type 2 diabetes mellitus, the main problem is that the pancreas may still be producing insulin but the body becomes resistant to normal or even high levels of insulin. This causes high blood glucose levels. Thus, type 2 diabetes mellitus is characterized by hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and relative impairment in insulin secretion. McCulloch et. al stated that In the United States, Canada, and Europe, approximately 90 percent of all people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. This disease is a chronic condition which requires regular monitoring and lifetime treatment which includes lifestyle changes, self care and
