Editing Beta cell (section)

{{short description|Type of cell found in pancreatic islets}}
{{cs1 config|name-list-style=vanc|display-authors=6}}
{{Infobox cell
| Name        = Beta cell
| Latin       = endocrinocytus B; insulinocytus
| Image       =
| Caption     = The photo above shows a [[mouse]] [[pancreatic islet]] as seen by [[light microscopy]]. Beta cells can be recognised by the green [[insulin]] staining. [[Glucagon]] is labelled in red and the [[cell nucleus|nuclei]] in blue.
| Image2      =
| Caption2    = A '''pancreatic islet''' in a [[pig]]. The left image is a brightfield image created using [[hematoxylin]] stain; nuclei are dark circles and the [[acinar]] pancreatic tissue is darker than the islet tissue. The right image is the same section stained by immunofluorescence against insulin, indicating beta cells.
| Precursor   =
| System      =
| Location = [[Pancreatic islet]]
| Function = [[Insulin]] secretion
}}

[[File:Human Pancreatic Islet.tif|thumb|219x219px|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 system|endocrine]] [[Cell (biology)|cells]] located within the [[pancreatic islets]] of Langerhans responsible for the production and release of [[insulin]] and [[amylin]].<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Dolenšek J, Rupnik MS, Stožer A | title = Structural similarities and differences between the human and the mouse pancreas | journal = Islets | volume = 7 | issue = 1 | pages = e1024405 | date = 2015-01-02 | pmid = 26030186 | doi = 10.1080/19382014.2015.1024405 | s2cid = 17908732 | doi-access = free | pmc = 4589993 }}</ref> Constituting ~50–70% of cells in human islets, beta cells play a vital role in maintaining blood [[glucose]] levels.<ref name="Chen_2017">{{cite journal | vauthors = Chen C, Cohrs CM, Stertmann J, Bozsak R, Speier S | title = Human beta cell mass and function in diabetes: Recent advances in knowledge and technologies to understand disease pathogenesis | journal = Molecular Metabolism | volume = 6 | issue = 9 | pages = 943–957 | date = September 2017 | pmid = 28951820 | pmc = 5605733 | doi = 10.1016/j.molmet.2017.06.019 }}</ref> Problems with beta cells can lead to disorders such as [[diabetes]].<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Ashcroft FM, Rorsman P | title = Diabetes mellitus and the β cell: the last ten years | journal = Cell | volume = 148 | issue = 6 | pages = 1160–1171 | date = March 2012 | pmid = 22424227 | pmc = 5890906 | doi = 10.1016/j.cell.2012.02.010 }}</ref>