Remember to describe the process and the effects of the factor in your own words and to give credit to your sources via a bibliography at the end of your post. 

INTERACT: After you finish your post, return to this forum to read about different feedback loops and comment thoughtfully and respectfully on the posts of two other students.

Diabetes Dash

Blood sugar levels are REGULATED by insulin and glucagon. In a non-diabetic human, these hormones go through a NEGATIVE FEEDBACK LOOP in order to maintain blood sugar levels at a SET POINT (on average 80 mg/dL and 100 mg/dL). When we eat foods high in carbohydrates they turn into glucose in our stomach; the glucose is then moved to the bloodstream and transported throughout the body. When the SENSOR senses that the blood glucose level is rising, the INTEGRATOR signals the pancreas to produce insulin (EFFECTOR). Insulin is the hormone that allows glucose to enter cells; thus, it reestablishes the blood glucose level to its SET POINT. Diabetes is a condition when the blood sugar level is either too high or too low, and the pancreas doesn't produce enough or any insulin to control it. When the pancreas does not produce any insulin at all a human is diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. And Type 2 Diabetes occurs when there is not enough insulin or the insulin is not working properly. 90% of people with diabetes are diagnosed with the second type. Regularly, Type 2 develops with obesity, lack of exercise, and aging; these factors do not let insulin work properly and thus glucose can't enter the cells. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not produce any insulin; there is a lot of speculation as to what is the cause of this malfunction. Type 1 can be treated with medication and insulin injections, while Type 2 can be regulated with good exercise and diet.