Insulin

Key Stage 4

Meaning

Insulin is a hormone which acts to reduce the concentration of glucose in the blood.

About Insulin

Insulin is secreted by the pancreas.

This liver is a target organ for insulin.

When the liver detects insulin it causes the liver to take in glucose and convert it into glycogen to be stored.

Insulin causes cells everywhere in the body to take in glucose. This acts to reduce the amount of glucose in the blood.

Insulin causes glucose to be converted into fat in the fatty tissue for storage.

Insulin as a Treatment

People with Type 1 Diabetes are unable to produce enough insulin which causes the glucose concentration in the blood to become too high. To stop this they must inject the insulin.

Insulin is injected into the fatty tissue where it can slowly be released into the blood.

The insulin reduces the glucose concentration in their blood.

If a person with Type 1 Diabetes did not inject with insulin it could cause them to fall into a coma.

Over long periods of time too much glucose in the blood damages capillaries eventually leading to lack of blood flow to certain parts of the body, particularly limbs, resulting in dead tissue which can become infected. If the infection becomes serious then the limb must be amputated.

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