Insulin

Insulin (Latin insula, "island", as it is produced in the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas) is a polypeptide hormone that regulates carbohydrate metabolism. Apart from being the primary effector in carbohydrate homeostasis, it also has a substantial effect on small vessel muscle tone, controls storage and release of fat (triglycerides) and cellular uptake of both amino acids and some electrolytes. In this last sense, it has anabolic properties. Its concentration (more or less, prsence or absence) has extremely widespread effects throughout the body.

Related Topics:
Latin - Islets of Langerhans - Pancreas - Polypeptide - Hormone - Carbohydrate metabolism - Carbohydrate - Homeostasis - Fat - Triglyceride - Anabolic

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Insulin is used medically in some forms of diabetes mellitus. Patients with Type 1 diabetes mellitus depend on exogenous insulin (injected subcutaneously) for their survival because of an absolute deficiency of the hormone; patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus have either relatively low insulin production or insulin resistance or both, and a non-trivial fraction of Type 2 diabetics eventually require insulin administration when other medications become inadequate in controlling blood glucose levels.

Related Topics:
Diabetes mellitus - Type 1 diabetes mellitus - Type 2 diabetes mellitus - Insulin resistance

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Insulin has the empirical formula C254H377N65O75S6.

Related Topics:
C - H - N - O - S

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Insulin structure varies slightly between species. Its carbohydrate metabolism regulatory function strength in humans also varies. Pig insulin is particularly close to the human one.

Related Topics:
Species - Carbohydrate metabolism - Pig - Human

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