Insulin Biochemistry
Insulin is made in cells in our pancreas. The process of making insulin involves many different proteins. For example much of the processing of insulin occurs within a structure inside of our cells called the endoplasmic reticulum. This structure called an organelle (link) itself is composed of many different proteins. Within the endoplasmic reticulum a version of insulin gets folded up by other proteins then gets chopped up enzymes (proteins). The resultant version of insulin is still not the version of insulin that does all the work. Within another organelle with a real cool name; the golgi apparatus, other proteins (enzymes) chop it up again.
What triggers the making of insulin involves proteins. The cells that make insulin are triggered by blood (sugar) glucose levels. Glucose is transported into the cell through a protein that spans the cell membrane. Once inside the pancreas cells, glucose is changed by an enzyme (protein) and other processes requiring proteins occur resulting in the controlled production and release of insulin.
Once in the bloodstream insulin encounters receptors (proteins) on the surfaces of our cells triggering a process within our cells that involves several other proteins to eventually trigger glucose transporter proteins to bring glucose into our cells. Insulin is then broken down by another set of proteins (enzymes).
What I am hoping to convey by this example is just how much proteins are involved in the biochemistry of insulin - a hormone that is often thought to be associated with sugar.
If you are like me and think names like “the golgi apparatus” and “endoplasmic reticulum” sound really fun - check out this list of “A few of my favorite words from science and medicine.”
Check out this video if you are interested in learning more about the details of insulin biosynthesis.
Or this video titled:
“The Mechanism of Insulin Release by Pancreatic β-cells”
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