Type I Diabetes is characterized by which description?

Type I Diabetes is characterized by which description?

• A. insulin resistance
• B. autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells
• C. increased insulin production
• D. insulin dependent

Answer: (D)

Type I diabetes is defined by autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells, which leads to an absolute lack of insulin. Without insulin, glucose cannot enter most cells, causing high blood sugar. Because there is essentially no insulin produced, people with this form of diabetes require external insulin therapy, so they are clinically insulin dependent. The key point is the autoimmune attack on beta cells causing insulin deficiency; the idea of being insulin dependent describes the consequence of that deficiency, while the other options describe patterns that do not fit Type I (insulin resistance is more typical of Type II, and increased insulin production would not occur when beta cells are destroyed).

Type I diabetes is defined by autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells, which leads to an absolute lack of insulin. Without insulin, glucose cannot enter most cells, causing high blood sugar. Because there is essentially no insulin produced, people with this form of diabetes require external insulin therapy, so they are clinically insulin dependent. The key point is the autoimmune attack on beta cells causing insulin deficiency; the idea of being insulin dependent describes the consequence of that deficiency, while the other options describe patterns that do not fit Type I (insulin resistance is more typical of Type II, and increased insulin production would not occur when beta cells are destroyed).