What condition is characterized by glucose remaining in the blood rather than entering cells?

The condition characterized by glucose remaining in the blood rather than entering cells is diabetes mellitus. This disorder encompasses several types of diabetes, with one of the primary issues being insulin resistance or inadequate insulin production. In diabetes mellitus, the body's ability to regulate glucose levels is impaired, causing elevated blood glucose levels as the cells cannot effectively take in glucose. This situation occurs because insulin, a hormone crucial for facilitating the entry of glucose into cells, is either not produced in sufficient quantities (as in Type 1 diabetes) or the cells become resistant to it (as often seen in Type 2 diabetes).

While gestational diabetes specifically occurs during pregnancy and involves similar mechanisms, it is a temporary condition and not as broadly encompassing as diabetes mellitus. Other choices like hypoglycemia involve low blood sugar levels, which is the opposite of the condition described. Therefore, diabetes mellitus is the most accurate term for the condition where blood glucose remains elevated rather than being utilized by the cells.