Type 2 diabetes is characterized by what?

• A. The pancreas stops producing insulin entirely
• B. There is no insulin in the body
• C. Insulin receptor sites are damaged, reducing insulin effectiveness
• D. Blood sugar is always high due to lack of glucose transport

Answer: (C)

The concept being tested is insulin resistance—cells don’t respond well to insulin, so glucose isn’t taken up efficiently from the blood. In Type 2, the pancreas often still makes insulin, but tissues like muscle and fat become less responsive to it. That diminished signaling means insulin can’t promote glucose entry into those cells effectively, so blood sugar stays higher than it should. This explains why high blood glucose is a hallmark of Type 2 even though insulin is present.

Phrases like the pancreas stopping insulin production describe Type 1, not Type 2, and saying there’s no insulin in the body isn’t accurate for Type 2. Similarly, claiming blood sugar is always high due to a lack of glucose transport oversimplifies the mechanism—it's not a complete absence of transport, but impaired insulin signaling that reduces uptake.