What is insulin

Insulin is a naturally occurring hormone secreted by the pancreas and it helps the body to use glucose for energy. Glucose is one of the types of sugar present in carbohydrates. An insulin molecule has 51 amino acids. The molecular weight of insulin is 5808 Da. 

Insulin hormone is produced in the cluster of cells in the pancreas called islets of Langerhans. The name Insulin is derived from the Latin word “ Insula” meaning Island. This refers to the cluster of cells (islets) that produces the hormone in the pancreas. 

Insulin also helps in breaking down fats and protein for energy. It is a protein chain or peptide hormone. The structure of insulin varies with different species of animals.