Answer to Question #169621 in Cell Biology for Jane Lee

Question

You would describe the cells from which insulin is secreted and state the overall role of insulin in the body. In signalling pathways, each signal molecule has a receptor that it binds to, so you would indicate what the receptor for insulin is called and what immediate outcome the binding of insulin has to that receptor i.e. in the case of insulin, which regulates glucose uptake in the body, does the receptor directly interact with glucose or is it just part of a much larger signalling cascade.

Answer 1

The islets of Langerhans are made up of different type of cells that make hormones, the commonest ones are the beta cells, which produce insulin.Insulin helps control blood glucose levels by signaling the liver and muscle and fat cells to take in glucose from the blood.

Insulin receptor is a receptor tyrosine kinase that plays essential roles in glucose metabolism and cell growth.

Glucose, a simple sugar, provides energy for cell functions. After food is digested, glucose is released into the bloodstream. In response, the pancreas secretes insulin, which directs the muscle and fat cells to take in glucose.