Question

Insulin is a

• A. vitamin
• B. lipid
• C. hormone
• D. enzyme.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Insulin is a hormone that helps in the regulation of blood sugar level in the body. They are produced by pancreases from the beta cells that are located in the islets of Langerhans. Insulin helps in the uptake of glucose from the bloodstream. There it is used as a source of energy. The blood sugar level is increased in the blood just after eating food, insulin is released then to maintain the level of sugar. There are specific receptors of insulin that help in the uptake of glucose through muscles and where they can also be stored for energy. The glucose level is thus maintained by the body through insulin. 

Any disturbance in the insulin level can cause diseases. In the case of Type I diabetes, the body does not produce enough insulin due to the damage in the beta cells. On the other hand, in case of type II diabetes, the cells become resistant to the effect of insulin. These people need to take insulin from outside to maintain the glucose level in the cell. 

Read more from chapter: Human Health and Disease 

Answer 2

The Correct Answer is (C)

Real Life Applications

• It is essential for managing and treating diabetes, a chronic condition characterized by high blood sugar levels. Both Type-1 and Type-2 Diabetes can be treated by this. 
• Apart from the treatment part insulin can also be used for R&D studies for example, insulin is used to study how diabetes affects the heart and blood vessels.

Question can also be asked as

• What is a real-world application of insulin? 
• What are the symptoms of insulin deficiency or resistance? 
• What are some examples of how insulin is used in the real world? 
• Can insulin be a cause of health disorder? 
• How does insulin impact people's lives ?

Answer 3

A hormone is a chemical messenger that is produced by specialized cells or glands in the endocrine system of the organism. These messengers are released into the bloodstream where they will then travel to the specific target. 

What is insulin?

Insulin is a hormone that helps in regulating the level of glucose in the body. They are secreted by the beta cells of islets of Langerhans. Insulin regulates the level of glucose by helping the uptake of glucose. 

Structure of insulin

It is a peptide hormone that is composed of an amino acids chain. They are small as compared to other hormones. They have a polypeptide chain that is linked by the disulphide bond. The chains are called A and B. 

The primary structure of insulin has 51 amino acids in total. Of these A chain has 21 amino acids and B chain has 30 amino acids. They have a specific sequence that helps in the proper functioning of the protein. The two disulphide bonds have cysteine residue. The A and B chain forms a Y shaped structure. Insulin is synthesized as a proinsulin that is the inactive form. It has a C chain that is removed to make the insulin active. 

Deficiency of insulin

If there is a lack of insulin in the body, then the glucose level in the body will be dysregulated. 

Type I diabetes: It is an autoimmune condition, in this the low level of insulin is due to the  defect in the beta cells and thus there is a low secretion of insulin. 

Type II diabetes: In this, there is a proper production and secretion of insulin, but the cells in the body become inactive to the effect of insulin. 

Insulin needs to be taken from outside in case of the low level to regulate the blood sugar level. 

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