What Is Insulin?

Insulin is a protein that the body creates otherwise known as a hormone. This hormone is secreted from cells inside the pancreas called islets. Aside from the production of insulin the pancreas also produces a variety of enzymes and several other hormones generally used in digestion. Insulin is used by the body to take sugar created in the digestive tract from food you eat (known as glucose) and help cells to use it. 

When insulin is attached to the outside of a cell the cell activates receptors on its cell wall to begin taking in glucose and processing it. Without insulin the majority of the cells inside the human body are unable to take in the nutrients and energy they need to keep running, this can lead to a state of starvation where your cells literally cannot get the energy they require and can begin to die off. This condition is called diabetes and can be treated with several methods to help production or absorption of insulin in the body.