Insulin (medication)
Insulin (medication)
Insulin (pronounced /ˈɪnsjʊlɪn/) is a peptide hormone produced by beta cells in the pancreas. It regulates the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and protein by promoting the absorption of glucose from the blood into liver, fat, and skeletal muscle cells. In these tissues, the absorbed glucose is converted into either glycogen via glycogenesis or fats (triglycerides) via lipogenesis, or, in the case of the liver, into both.
Etymology
The term insulin comes from the Latin insula, meaning island, referring to the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas where insulin is produced.
Types of Insulin
There are several types of insulin available for therapeutic use, including:
- Rapid-acting insulin
- Short-acting insulin
- Intermediate-acting insulin
- Long-acting insulin
- Pre-mixed insulin
Administration
Insulin is typically administered via subcutaneous injection, but can also be delivered via an insulin pump or inhaled.
Related Terms
- Diabetes mellitus
- Hypoglycemia
- Hyperglycemia
- Insulin resistance
- Insulin pump
- Insulin pen
- Insulin therapy
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Insulin (medication)
- Wikipedia's article - Insulin (medication)
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski