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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2009 Jun 11.
Published in final edited form as: Curr Opin Cell Biol. 2007 Dec 3;19(6):634–645. doi: 10.1016/j.ceb.2007.09.015

Figure 2.

Figure 2

The proliferative capacity of beta cells changes during the progression from embryogenesis through adulthood. During early embryogenesis, beta cell umbers are established by direct differentiation from Pdx1+ progenitor cells. In late gestation through the neonatal stages of life, the beta cell population is expanded through high rates of proliferation in existing beta cells. In adulthood, low levels of beta cell replication maintain a constant set of beta cells ready to provide insulin to meet metabolic demand.