insulin

/ˈɪnsələn/

/ˈɪnsəlɪn/

Other forms: insulins

Insulin is a hormone in your body that lowers the amount of glucose in your blood. People with diabetes sometimes need an insulin supplement to help regulate their blood sugar.

Your pancreas creates insulin, which allows your body to convert sugars from food into energy. You need insulin in order for that bowl of spaghetti to help fuel the 10K you're running later. Diabetes makes it hard (or impossible) for the body to generate insulin, and access to prescription insulin is essential for a diabetic person to stay alive. The Latin root of insulin means "island," referring to the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas, which secrete the hormone.

Definitions of insulin

1. noun

   hormone secreted by the isles of Langerhans in the pancreas; regulates storage of glycogen in the liver and accelerates oxidation of sugar in cells
   types:

   Lente Iletin, Lente Insulin

   trade names for forms of insulin that are used to treat diabetes mellitus

   Humulin, recombinant human insulin

   a form of insulin (trade name Humulin) made from recombinant DNA that is identical to human insulin; used to treat diabetics who are allergic to preparations made from beef or pork insulin

   type of:

   endocrine, hormone, internal secretion

   the secretion of an endocrine gland that is transmitted by the blood to the tissue on which it has a specific effect

   hypoglycaemic agent, hypoglycemic agent

   any of various agents that decrease the level of glucose in the blood and are used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus