insulin

[ in-suh-lin, ins-yuh- ]

noun

1. Biochemistry. a polypeptide hormone, produced by the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans of the pancreas, that regulates the metabolism of glucose and other nutrients.
2. Pharmacology. any of several commercial preparations of this substance, each of which allows a particular rate of absorption into the system: genetically engineered or obtained from the pig or ox pancreas, and used in the treatment of diabetes to restore the normal ability of the body to utilize sugars and other carbohydrates.

insulin

/ ˈɪnsjʊlɪn /

noun

1. a protein hormone, secreted in the pancreas by the islets of Langerhans, that controls the concentration of glucose in the blood. Insulin deficiency results in diabetes mellitus

insulin

/ ĭn′sə-lĭn /

1. A hormone produced in the pancreas that regulates the amount of sugar in the blood by stimulating cells, especially liver and muscle cells, to absorb and metabolize glucose. Insulin also stimulates the conversion of blood glucose into glycogen and fat, which are the body's chief sources of stored carbohydrates.
2. A drug containing this hormone, obtained from the pancreas of animals or produced synthetically and used to treat diabetes.

insulin

1. A hormone secreted by the pancreas that regulates the levels of sugar in the blood .

Notes

Persons suffering from diabetes mellitus may receive periodic or daily injections of insulin as a treatment for the disease.

Word History and Origins

Origin of insulin¹

First recorded in 1910–15; insul(a) + -in ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of insulin¹

C20: from New Latin insula islet (of the pancreas) + -in

Example Sentences

In fact, eating too much protein can lead to high levels of insulin and ammonia in the blood.

From Science News For Students

This, despite the fact that insulin levels on the low-fat diet were, Hall told me, “through the roof.”

From Washington Post

Nanci, a retired X-ray technologist, administered his oxygen and insulin treatments.

From Washington Post

Conventional insulin injections have fairly narrow windows in which they can be taken to work properly, but patients can take Lyumjev anytime within 20 minutes of starting a meal.

From Popular-Science

Nigrin describes how the cloud allows one of Boston Children’s Hospital’s partners, Israeli medical technology developer DreaMed Diabetes, to “inject AI smarts” into remote insulin management.

From MIT Technology Review

Once we eat, insulin (which regulates the breakdown of fat) increases in our body.

From The Daily Beast

And, according to some research, higher insulin levels have been shown to suppress fat metabolism by up to 22 percent.

From The Daily Beast

In addition, low fat/high carb diets lower protective “good” cholesterol and raise insulin.

From The Daily Beast

For example, I cannot imagine trying to treat a diabetic patient without insulin, or an asthmatic patient without bronchodilators.

From The Daily Beast

But others say that overeating carbohydrates causes insulin to surge and essentially drives fat storage.

From The Daily Beast

Kroger said that the Martian metabolism must be like Terran (Earth-type) metabolism, only with no pancreas to make insulin.

From Project Gutenberg

It is as if some men would rather die than use insulin and those who did use it became outcasts!

From Project Gutenberg

Diabetes takes two forms: juvenile onset (or insulin-dependent) and adult onset (or noninsulin-dependent) diabetes.

From Project Gutenberg

The first type starts in childhood or young adulthood, and is caused by the body's failure to produce enough insulin.

From Project Gutenberg

Excess insulin leads to low blood sugar (literally, hypoglycemia).

From Project Gutenberg