WEBVTT
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Let's shrink past the skin, past the stomach, until we're standing beside the pancreas.
00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:16.799
Now shrink again, because hidden throughout the pancreas are tiny clusters of endocrine cells known as the islets of Langahams.
00:01:17.359 --> 00:01:22.640
And inside those islets is the cell we're looking for, the beta cell.
00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:26.079
A small cell, enormous responsibility.
00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:30.799
Beta cells produce insulin, but I want you to notice something.
00:01:31.039 --> 00:01:35.759
When we say the pancreas makes insulin, we're simplifying.
00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:38.319
The pancreas does many things.
00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:43.840
Most of its tissue is involved in producing digestive enzymes.
00:01:44.079 --> 00:01:52.560
But tucked in within it are those endocrine ions containing different cell types, producing different hormones.
00:01:53.199 --> 00:01:57.039
And the beta cell is our insulin specialist.
00:01:57.519 --> 00:02:00.799
Think of it as a metabolic surveillance station.
00:02:01.120 --> 00:02:06.000
It is constantly responding to information about the body's nutrient state.
00:02:06.239 --> 00:02:12.079
When glucose availability rises after a meal, beta cell metabolism changes.
00:02:12.319 --> 00:02:15.759
And that eventually changes insulin secretion.
00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:17.199
That's important.
00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:23.120
The beta cell doesn't have a tiny glucose meter tapped to its wall.
00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:27.680
It has to sense the metabolic environment through biology.
00:02:27.840 --> 00:02:31.599
And this is where our story gets beautiful.
00:02:31.840 --> 00:02:50.079
Because the beta cell is going to take something that seems completely ordinary, glucose, and convert information about that glucose into a hormone signal capable of affecting tissues throughout the body.
00:02:50.639 --> 00:02:54.240
But first, it has to know that glucose has arrived.
00:02:54.560 --> 00:02:55.199
How?
00:02:55.599 --> 00:02:57.759
That's our next mystery.
00:02:58.240 --> 00:03:03.680
Because the beta cell doesn't merely detect glucose sitting by.
00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:12.960
And what happens during that metabolism tells the cell something.
00:03:13.120 --> 00:03:19.759
In other words, sometimes metabolism isn't just about producing energy.
00:03:20.240 --> 00:03:24.479
Metabolism itself can become information.
00:03:25.280 --> 00:03:31.280
And next time, we are going to see exactly how that happens.
00:00:58.399 --> 00:01:05.679
Let's shrink past the skin, past the stomach, until we're standing beside the pancreas.
00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:16.799
Now shrink again, because hidden throughout the pancreas are tiny clusters of endocrine cells known as the islets of Langahams.
00:01:17.359 --> 00:01:22.640
And inside those islets is the cell we're looking for, the beta cell.
00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:26.079
A small cell, enormous responsibility.
00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:30.799
Beta cells produce insulin, but I want you to notice something.
00:01:31.039 --> 00:01:35.759
When we say the pancreas makes insulin, we're simplifying.
00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:38.319
The pancreas does many things.
00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:43.840
Most of its tissue is involved in producing digestive enzymes.
00:01:44.079 --> 00:01:52.560
But tucked in within it are those endocrine ions containing different cell types, producing different hormones.
00:01:53.199 --> 00:01:57.039
And the beta cell is our insulin specialist.
00:01:57.519 --> 00:02:00.799
Think of it as a metabolic surveillance station.
00:02:01.120 --> 00:02:06.000
It is constantly responding to information about the body's nutrient state.
00:02:06.239 --> 00:02:12.079
When glucose availability rises after a meal, beta cell metabolism changes.
00:02:12.319 --> 00:02:15.759
And that eventually changes insulin secretion.
00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:17.199
That's important.
00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:23.120
The beta cell doesn't have a tiny glucose meter tapped to its wall.
00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:27.680
It has to sense the metabolic environment through biology.
00:02:27.840 --> 00:02:31.599
And this is where our story gets beautiful.
00:02:31.840 --> 00:02:50.079
Because the beta cell is going to take something that seems completely ordinary, glucose, and convert information about that glucose into a hormone signal capable of affecting tissues throughout the body.
00:02:50.639 --> 00:02:54.240
But first, it has to know that glucose has arrived.
00:02:54.560 --> 00:02:55.199
How?
00:02:55.599 --> 00:02:57.759
That's our next mystery.
00:02:58.240 --> 00:03:03.680
Because the beta cell doesn't merely detect glucose sitting by.
00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:12.960
And what happens during that metabolism tells the cell something.
00:03:13.120 --> 00:03:19.759
In other words, sometimes metabolism isn't just about producing energy.
00:03:20.240 --> 00:03:24.479
Metabolism itself can become information.
00:03:25.280 --> 00:03:31.280
And next time, we are going to see exactly how that happens.
