Final answer:
Zinc plays a role in insulin production in the pancreas, specifically within the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans, essential for regulating blood glucose levels. Under-production of insulin can lead to conditions like type I diabetes where blood glucose regulation is impaired, while its overproduction could cause hypoglycemia.
Step-by-step explanation:
It is true that zinc eventually reaches the pancreas, where it plays a crucial role in insulin production. In the pancreas, the endocrine cells, specifically the beta cells of the pancreatic islets or the islets of Langerhans, produce the hormone insulin. Insulin is a key regulatory hormone for blood glucose levels. For example, when blood glucose levels rise after a meal, beta cells release insulin to lower blood glucose levels by facilitating the uptake of glucose by most body cells and increasing glycogen synthesis in skeletal muscles and liver.
In cases where the pancreas is under-producing insulin, such as in type I diabetes, the immune system attacks these beta cells, thereby hindering insulin production needed to regulate blood glucose. Conversely, an overproduction of insulin might lead to hypoglycemia, which is lower than normal blood sugar levels.
Insulin production is also influenced by neural stimuli. This can be observed when insulin is produced in response to sudden stress without a change in blood glucose or when beta cells express epinephrine receptors, supporting the hypothesis that the pancreas's hormone production can be controlled by neural stimuli.