Library · Molecule
Insulin
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Insulin is a hormone, meaning a chemical message sent through the blood so that other parts of the body will follow it. It is made by beta cells, which are not scattered loose but grouped into islets, tiny clusters spread throughout the pancreas. When blood glucose rises, insulin sends the signal, and many cells in the body take that sugar in and use it for energy.
There are two situations that sound alike and are not the same thing. One is an absolute lack of insulin: there is very little hormone or none at all, and no one is left to give the signal. The other is resistance: the hormone is present and the signal goes out, but the tissues respond less, like a house where the doorbell rings just fine and nobody answers the door. Through different mechanisms, both can leave glucose high.
In brief
Insulin is a hormone made by beta cells, which are clustered in small islets within the pancreas.
When blood glucose rises, insulin acts as a chemical signal that helps many cells take up that glucose and use it as a source of energy.
Absolute insulin deficiency and insulin resistance are not the same thing. In the first, there is little or no insulin; in the second, tissues respond less to the insulin that is available. Both mechanisms can raise blood glucose.
Sources (3)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesWhat Is Diabetes?
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesDiabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases: Recent Advances & Emerging OpportunitiesPublished
- World Health OrganizationDiabetesPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated