T.

Jay Turner

Insulin
Insulin has a tertiary structure. The name given to
the final 3-dimensional folded protein.
Insulin is made from two primary polypeptide chains
of amino acids: Subunit A and Subunit B.
Subunit A- 21 Amino acids
Subunit B- 30 Amino acids
These chains are connected and stabilised by two
disulphide bridges
(Diagram of the protein
Insulin in 3-Dimensional
tertiary structure)

The protein Insulin is a peptide hormone produced

by beta cells in the pancreas, and is central to
regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the
body. It causes cells in the skeletal muscles, and fat
tissue to absorb glucose from the blood causing a
drop in blood sugar levels. As the level of glucose
rises in the blood, the insulin levels also increases.
(Diagram of the raw amino acid
structure of insulin:
Subunit A and Subunit B are
clearly distinguished.
- Highlights the two disulphide
bridges between the two

As carbohydrates or sugars are

absorbed by the intestines after
a meal, insulin is secreted by the
pancreas in response to this
increase in blood sugar. Due to
the heightened levels of glucose, membrane
depolarization of the beta cells occurs, causing
extracellular calcium to rush into the cell. This in turn
stimulates the export of secretory granules, which
contain insulin, out of the cell.
The one special thing about insulin is its change in structure to become useful in
the human body. Insulin is originally produced as preproinsulin, which is

T.Jay Turner
transformed into a prohormone molecule by proteolytic action into proinsulin, and
finally into the active polypeptide hormone, insulin
(Diagram of the process of
regulating blood sugar levels
in the human body)