FREE ESSAY ON INSULIN'S FORM & FUNCTION

INSULIN'S FORM & FUNCTION

Insulin has a few uses in the human body. Some are more important than others. Insulin is
a hormone that regulates the body's use of sugar and other foods. Insulin i produced in
specialized cells in the pancreas, which is a part of the pancreas. Abnormalities cause
the decrease of insulin, which causes diabetes. It is this disease that the body cannot
use sugars properly and glucose ( a form of sugar) builds up in the blood.
When food is absorbed into the bloodstream, the pancreas increases the secretion of
insulin into the blood. Insulin speeds the movement of nutrients from the blood stream
into target cells, which are located mainly in the liver, muscles, and fat tissue.
Specialized protein molecules called insulin recptors lie on the surface of the target
cells. The insulin receptors bind to insulin, which activates the receptors. The
activated receptors on cells hasten the entry and utilization of the nutrients. Glucose
and other simple sugars, produced by the digestion of more complex carbohydrates, are
used for immediate energy or converted to glycogen for storage.
Amino acids, produced by the digestion of proteins, move into cells and there form the
building blocks for proteins. Fatty acids, produced by the digestion of fats are
converted for storage and later used for energy. This occurs when you eat foods. For
example, say that two minutes earlier you ate a nice big juicy steak. You are not going
to instantly get energy. It takes time for the energy to be produced
An insufficient amount of insulin in the body causes a form of diabetes called Type I
Diabetes. In a milder form of diabetes known as Type II diabetes, the patient usually
produces normal amounts of insulin, but the body does not utilize insulin properly. This
may occur because the patient has too few insulin receptors or has defective receptors.
In most patients, the cause of the disorder is not know. In some people, tumors produced
large amounts of receptors which causes the blood sugar to fall to a level far below
normal, a condition called hypoglycemia.
In conclusion, insulin plays a big role in a person's life especially for somebody who
has diabetes. This is why its important for your body to produce insulin.
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