Insulin Flashcards
what is insulin?
a peptide hormone
describe the physiological window of insulin?
very narrow
what happens if too much insulin is given?
hypoglycaemia
can cause coma and death
what are the four main cell types in the pancreatic islets?
beta cells
alpha cells
delta cells
PP cells
what is the most common cell in a pancreatic iselt?
beta cell
what do beta cells secrete?
insulin
what do alpha cells secrete?
glucagon
what do delta cells secrete?
somatostatin
what do PP cells secrete?
pancreatic polypeptide
where is insulin synthesised?
the RER of pancreatic beta cells
what is insulin initially synthesised as?
preproinsulin
a single chain preprohormone
what is preproinsulin cleaved to form?
insulin
describe the molecular structure of insulin
two polypeptide chains (A chain and B chain) linked by disulphide bonds
what is the by product of insulin cleavage?
C peptide
