Beta cell

Beta cell
Details
LocationPancreatic islet
FunctionInsulin secretion
Identifiers
Latinendocrinocytus B; insulinocytus
THH3.04.02.0.00026
FMA85704
Anatomical terms of microanatomy
Human pancreatic islet by immunostaining. Nuclei of cells are shown in blue (DAPI). Beta cells are shown in green (Insulin), Delta cells are shown in white (Somatostatin).

Beta cells (β-cells) are specialized endocrine cells located within the pancreatic islets of Langerhans responsible for the production and release of insulin and amylin.[1] Constituting ~50–70% of cells in human islets, beta cells play a vital role in maintaining blood glucose levels.[2] Problems with beta cells can lead to disorders such as diabetes.[3]

  1. ^ Dolenšek J, Rupnik MS, Stožer A (2015-01-02). "Structural similarities and differences between the human and the mouse pancreas". Islets. 7 (1): e1024405. doi:10.1080/19382014.2015.1024405. PMC 4589993. PMID 26030186. S2CID 17908732.
  2. ^ Chen C, Cohrs CM, Stertmann J, Bozsak R, Speier S (September 2017). "Human beta cell mass and function in diabetes: Recent advances in knowledge and technologies to understand disease pathogenesis". Molecular Metabolism. 6 (9): 943–957. doi:10.1016/j.molmet.2017.06.019. PMC 5605733. PMID 28951820.
  3. ^ Ashcroft FM, Rorsman P (March 2012). "Diabetes mellitus and the β cell: the last ten years". Cell. 148 (6): 1160–1171. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2012.02.010. PMC 5890906. PMID 22424227.