Understanding Diabetes: How Blood Sugar Is Controlled & Disrupted

About this course

This course explains what normally happens in the body when you eat: carbohydrates break down into glucose, which enters the bloodstream. Under healthy conditions, the pancreas releases insulin — a hormone that helps glucose enter your cells to be used as energy.

Diabetes disrupts this entire process. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas produces little or no insulin. In type 2 diabetes, your cells stop responding effectively to the insulin produced — a condition known as insulin resistance. In both situations, glucose cannot enter the cells efficiently. Instead, it builds up in the bloodstream, causing elevated blood-sugar levels.

This course uses a clear, animated explanation to show how this breakdown leads to long-term complications. When glucose stays in the bloodstream, cells are deprived of energy, and high blood sugar begins to damage blood vessels, nerves, and organs. You’ll gain a strong understanding of how the normal “glucose → insulin → energy” pathway works, how diabetes disrupts it, and why blood-sugar management is essential for long-term health.

Requirements

Basic understanding of general biology

Ability to follow simple medical explanations

No prior knowledge of diabetes required

A device for watching video lessons and taking notes