insulin

• what does insulin do ?


  Lower blood glucose concentration when it is too high
• What does insulin bind to?


  Specific receptors on the cell membranes of liver cells and muscle cells
• What does insulin increase?


  The permeability of muscle-cell membranes to glucose, so the cells take up more glucose

  • this involves increasing the number of channel proteins in the cell membranes
• what does insulin also do?


  Activates enzymes in liver and muscle cells that convert glucose into glycogen

  • the cells are able to store glycogen in their cytoplasm, as an energy source
  • the process of forming glycogen from glucose = GLYCOGENESIS
• What does insulin also increase?


  the Rate of respiration of glucose, especially in muscle cells
• Liver cells are also called what>?


  hepatocytes