Which statement correctly describes type 2 diabetes pathophysiology?

• A. complete lack of insulin
• B. resistance to insulin at cellular level
• C. commonly diagnosed in children
• D. antibodies attack insulin-producing cells

Answer: (B)

Type 2 diabetes is defined by insulin resistance at the cellular level. The body's tissues—especially muscle and fat—don’t respond well to insulin, so glucose uptake from the blood is reduced and the liver keeps producing glucose. The pancreas initially tries to compensate by producing more insulin, but over time the beta cells can struggle, leading to a relative, not absolute, insulin deficiency. This combination explains why blood glucose remains high.

That’s why the statement describing insulin resistance best fits type 2 diabetes. The other options point to scenarios more typical of type 1 diabetes—absolute lack of insulin due to autoimmune destruction of beta cells or autoimmune attacks on those cells. While type 2 can occur in kids in some cases, that isn’t the defining pathophysiology, which centers on resistance rather than a complete lack of insulin.