Diabetes is a disease that causes the human body to not create or use insulin effectively. The body needs insulin to take energy or sugars and turn them into energy. The human body needs energy to survive. Diabetes can be divided into three main categories. Type 1 diabetes is where the body does not produce insulin at all. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin or uses it properly. Gestational diabetes is more of a type 2 diabetes for pregnant women, which usually returns to normal after birth (Ruder 7-8). Too much glucose (sugar) in the blood or a blood sugar level consistently above 126 milligrams of glucose per deciliter means the individual is diabetic. Healthy non-diabetic individuals will have a fasting blood sugar level between 70 and 110 mg/dl. “The medical term for this condition is diabetes mellitus. Mellito is a Latin word meaning 'sweet honey,' referring to excess sugar in the blood and urine” (Collazo-Clavell 7). Insulin is a hormone produced by the beta cells of the pancreas. “A hormone is a chemical that is produced in one part of the body and travels through the bloodstream to other parts of the body, where it has powerful effects” (Greene 9). Insulin helps transport glucose into cells. If this energy cannot reach the cells, one cannot survive (Greene 9). Insulin plays a very important role in how cells handle everything from carbohydrates, to proteins, and even fats. The human body needs glucose, which it obtains from carbohydrates. Glucose is what gives cells the energy to do their work, especially the brain. The brain uses almost only glucose to function. Carbohydrates come in three forms: sugars, starches and fiber. Sugars are a simple carbohydrate. Simple machine...... middle of paper...... Mayo Clinic, 2001. Print."Diabetes and Pregnancy: MedlinePlus." United States National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. December 16, 2013."Diabetes Basics." Type 1. American Diabetes Association, nd Web. December 16, 2013. Greene, Bob, John Jerome. Merendino and Janis Jibrin. The best life guide for managing diabetes and pre-diabetes. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2009. Print.Reddy, S. Sethu K. The Cleveland Clinic Guide to Diabetes. New York: Kaplan Pub., 2009. Print.Rubin, Alan L. Diabetes for Dummies. 4th ed. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2012. Print.Ruder, Kate. The American Diabetes Association's Complete Guide to Diabetes. Ed. Greg Guthrie. Fifth ed. Alexandria: American Diabetes Association, 2011. Print.Staff, Mayo Clinic. "Definition." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 25 January 2013. Web. 16 December. 2013.