Which hormone is produced by the pancreas and lowers blood glucose?

Which hormone is produced by the pancreas and lowers blood glucose?

• A. Glucagon
• B. Estrogen
• C. Insulin
• D. Testosterone

Answer: (C)

Insulin is the hormone that lowers blood glucose. After a meal, rising blood glucose triggers the pancreas to release insulin from its beta cells. Insulin then signals liver, muscle, and fat tissues to take up glucose from the blood and to store it as glycogen in the liver and muscles or as fat in adipose tissue. It also promotes glucose metabolism in these tissues, helping to reduce blood glucose back toward normal. A key part of this is the increased insertion of GLUT4 transporters into cell membranes, which makes cells take up more glucose in response to insulin. When glucose levels fall, insulin secretion decreases, stopping the lowering effect. Other options don’t fit: estrogen and testosterone are sex hormones produced mainly by the gonads and aren’t responsible for rapid blood glucose control. Glucagon is produced by the pancreas too, but it raises blood glucose by triggering glycogen breakdown and glucose production in the liver, the opposite action of insulin.

Insulin is the hormone that lowers blood glucose. After a meal, rising blood glucose triggers the pancreas to release insulin from its beta cells. Insulin then signals liver, muscle, and fat tissues to take up glucose from the blood and to store it as glycogen in the liver and muscles or as fat in adipose tissue. It also promotes glucose metabolism in these tissues, helping to reduce blood glucose back toward normal. A key part of this is the increased insertion of GLUT4 transporters into cell membranes, which makes cells take up more glucose in response to insulin. When glucose levels fall, insulin secretion decreases, stopping the lowering effect.

Other options don’t fit: estrogen and testosterone are sex hormones produced mainly by the gonads and aren’t responsible for rapid blood glucose control. Glucagon is produced by the pancreas too, but it raises blood glucose by triggering glycogen breakdown and glucose production in the liver, the opposite action of insulin.