Insulin

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/insulin

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary receptor?Insulin receptor, a transmembrane tyrosine kinase
2. What is the key signaling pathways?PI3K/Akt pathway (metabolic effects) and MAPK pathway (growth/differentiation)
3. What is insulin and why does it help my body?Insulin is a tiny protein that helps cells take in sugar from food so we have energy to play and grow. It also tells the body to store extra sugar as glycogen and fat.
4. How does my body make insulin?Insulin is made in special cells in the pancreas called beta cells. It starts as a long chain called preproinsulin, then becomes proinsulin, and finally turns into mature insulin that is released when blood sugar rises.

Anabolic Hormone: A hormone that promotes the synthesis of complex molecules and tissue building.
Tyrosine Kinase Receptor: A cell surface receptor that, when activated, phosphorylates tyrosine residues on target proteins.
Glycemic Control: The process of maintaining blood glucose levels within a target range.