What is insulin? Understanding the effects of insulin

Insulin is a type of pancreas that has both endocrine and exocrine functions. It mainly plays a role in the human body's digestion of food. If there is a lack of insulin, it will cause secretory dysfunction or other adverse conditions.

1. There is a long organ at the lower back of the human stomach, called the pancreas, which has both endocrine and exocrine functions. The exocrine function mainly plays a role in the human body's digestion of food, while the endocrine function of the pancreas is related to diabetes. Under a microscope, pancreatic cells form clusters that look like small islands, hence the names “islets”. Insulin is a protein hormone secreted by the "β cells" in the "pancreatic islets". Any protein, if exposed to heat, will become solid like a boiled egg. If exposed to stomach acid, it will become cheese-like like fermented milk.

2. Of course, all the original functions and efficacy will disappear. Therefore, insulin is a protein that cannot be "eaten" and can only be injected. That's the reason.

Insulin is the only hormone in the human body that can lower blood sugar, but there are several hormones in the human body that can increase blood sugar. Under normal circumstances, when blood sugar rises, insulin secretion by β cells increases, blood sugar drops, and then remains at a relatively constant level. The cells of the liver, fat, and muscle tissue in the body contain a special protein called "insulin receptor", which can bind to insulin. The relationship between the receptor and insulin can be likened to a lock and key.

3. Insulin is like a key . Only it can enable glucose in the blood to smoothly enter the cells of various organs and tissues to provide energy for the human body. Under normal circumstances, the human body's pancreas secretes more insulin after a meal, and significantly less insulin when fasting. Therefore, although the blood sugar concentration of a normal person fluctuates with meals, this fluctuation remains within a certain normal range and is in a balanced state under the regulation of insulin. If the key of insulin is missing, or the lock of the insulin receptor is rusted and cannot work properly, the key of insulin cannot open the lock of the insulin receptor, or not enough locks are opened, the glucose in the blood will not be able to knock on the door of tissue cells, enter the cells to provide energy and be converted into carbon dioxide and water. Part of the glucose has to stay outside the door, and blood sugar will rise, causing diabetes.