Insulin

Insulin

In 1943, Fredrick Sanger set out to figure out the structure of insulin. He spent the next 12 years looking for the answer. A bit after that he broke the insulin molecule into pieces. After splitting the chanis of amino acids into short fragments, Snager came to understand how they fit together. He learned that insulin is made up of two linked chains, one containing 30 amino acids and the other containing 21. In 1952, he learned the exact sequences of both amino acids. His work was recognized in 1958, by receiving the Nobel Prize in chemisrty.

In the sturcture of insulin, there are two linked chains, one containg 30 amino acids and the other containting 21.These chains are peptide chains and are commonly refered as chain A and chain B. The whole structure consists of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. Scientsis have also discovered that insulin from some species of fish is similar enough to human to be effective in humans.

Insulin is essentual in regulating the matabolism of carbohydratea and fats in the body. The major function of insulin is to counter the concerted action of a number of hyperglycemia-generating hormones and to maintaing low blood glucose leves. Not only that but insulin aslo stimulates lipogenesis, diminishes lipolysis, and increases amino acid transport into cells. Insulin also modulates transcription, altering the cell content of numerous mRNAs. It also stimulates growth, DNA synthesis, and cell replication.

In Diabetes Mellitus, commonly called type 1 diabetes, your body doesn't produce enough insulin. This is believed to be caused when the beta cells of the pancreas are destroyed. When this happens, there is nothing to fight the levels of glucouse in your body. Hight levels of glucouse, commonly called sugar, may hurt you. This particular type of diabetes is most commonly found in children and young adults.

Inside our pancreas, a group of cells called beta cells make the protein, insulin. Beta cells release insulin with each meal to help the body use, or store the glucouse it gets from food. To be more direct, insulin is a peptide hormone made of two polypeptide chains. Today alone, there are at least 30 types of insulin products. The scientists get all their insulin form 2 sources, animals and bacteria.