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What is Insulin? Insulin Synthesis, Human vs Animal Insulin

Diabetics use Insulin daily. So its important to know basics like - what exactly is Insulin? Here we will discuss about it and other Insulin basics like - How is it produced in our body? What are its sources  and the differences between Human and Animal Insulin and get to know its structure.

What is Insulin?

Insulin is a polypeptide hormone secreted by Beta cells of Pancreas. Hormone is a vital substance produced in one part of the body transported through blood to act on the same or another part to alter (either increase or decrease) its functional activity. Peptide means a protein molecule made up of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. Polypeptide indicates that it is made up of more than one peptides (see below).



3D structure of Insulin
3D structure of Insulin (image - BeautifulProteins)

How is Insulin produced in the body?

Insulin is a protein. Proteins are produced by protein synthesis. The process of protein synthesis is a complex one and involves multiple stages and subprocesses. After receiving an appropriate stimulus like increased glucose in blood, its synthesis begins.

 Significant steps in this process are -
  1. Copying the specific genetic (code) sequence from DNA -- Transcription
  2. Translating the genetic sequence into large protein molecules - Translation
  3. Breaking down the large protein into different molecules, structural changes other fine tuning - Post-translational modifications

 All the following steps take place in Beta cells of Pancreas. After translation a protein called PreProInsulin is formed which gets converted into ProInsulin and then finally to Insulin. During this conversion (occurring in the 3rd stage), multiple other proteins are produced. These protein molecules are used to differentiate between endogenous and externally supplied Insulin.
 ex. Protein-C.

Human vs Animal Insulin 

Human Insulin is made up of 51 amino acids. The closest variety resembling Human form are Bovine and Porcine Insulins. Bovine has 3 different amino acids while porcine has just 1 different amino acid as compared to Human Insulin. Previously Animal Insulins were used because they were cheaper and more easily available. But they cause serious allergic and hypersentivity reactions. With the use of Recombinant Technology, Animal ones have been replaced or are being replaced with Human Recombinant Insulin with almost negligible hypersensitvity reactions due to its highly purified nature.
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