What Is Insulin And What Does It Do?
Insulin is a hormone and is found in even single-celled organisms and has been around for several billion years. Insulin is also a protein just like many other hormones. The pancreas has a group of cells called islet cells. It is the islet cells that secrete insulin. The pancreas is an organ that sits behind the stomach and has many functions in addition to insulin production. The pancreas also produces digestive enzymes and other hormones. When you eat, the food is digested and then broken down into glucose. Glucose is the simple sugar that is the body’s main source of energy, otherwise known as blood sugar. Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose and are absorbed from the intestines into the bloodstream after you eat. The pancreas then secretes insulin in response to the increase in blood sugar. Most cells of the body have insulin receptors which bind the insulin to the cell. When a cell has insulin attached to it, the cell then is able to activate the other receptors. These recep
