insulin
noun
in·su·lin
| \ ˈin(t)-s(ə-)lən
\
\
Definition of insulin
: a protein pancreatic hormone secreted by the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans that is essential especially for the metabolism of carbohydrates and the regulation of glucose levels in the blood and that when insufficiently produced results in diabetes mellitus
Examples of insulin in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Those abnormalities include chronic inflammation and resistance to insulin, the hormone that enables cells to absorb blood sugar and convert it to energy. — Marie Mccullough, chicagotribune.com, "Obesity-related cancer rates are rising in middle-aged Americans but falling in seniors. What’s going on?," 19 Aug. 2019 Tricks and games Another example is Eli Lilly’s authorized generic form of Humalog insulin, as Kaiser Health News points out. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Big Pharma is using faux generics to keep drug prices high, critics say," 8 Aug. 2019 Walters, who had a better experience with the cheaper insulin, told The Washington Post. — Claudia Harmata, PEOPLE.com, "Engaged 27-Year-Old Man Dies After Switching to Over-the-Counter Insulin to Save Costs," 6 Aug. 2019 Recently, the Endocrine Society railed against the prices of insulin, which have been raised in lockstep by an oligopoly of three pharmaceutical manufacturers. — Eric Topol, The New Yorker, "Why Doctors Should Organize," 5 Aug. 2019 Her copay is $10 for insulin, a drug with a list price of $740. — Erika Edwards, NBC News, "Drug costs push some to extreme measures as Trump admin unveils plan to import medicines from Canada," 31 July 2019 Desralinn Cole, who came from Minnesota for insulin, broke into tears outside the pharmacy. — Cara Korte, CBS News, "Bernie Sanders goes to Canada to make a point about drug prices," 28 July 2019 Insulin resistance occurs when muscle, fat or liver cells don't respond well to insulin, which typically signals cells to absorb sugar from the blood. — Arman Azad, CNN, "This bacteria may help people with obesity live healthier lives, study says," 3 July 2019 But at least four times a day, the Watkinses’s son, who has Type 1 diabetes, needs to test his blood sugar and take injections of insulin, including while in school. — Christine Hauser, New York Times, "Utah Family Sues After Son With Diabetes Is Kept From School," 29 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'insulin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for insulin
insulin
noun
English Language Learners Definition of insulin
medical
: a substance that your body makes and uses to turn sugar into energy
See the full definition for insulin in the English Language Learners Dictionary
insulin
noun
in·su·lin
| \ ˈin-sə-lən
\
\
Kids Definition of insulin
: a hormone made by the pancreas that helps the cells in the body take up glucose from the blood and that is used to treat diabetes
insulin
noun
in·su·lin
| \ ˈin(t)-s(ə-)lən
\
\
Medical Definition of insulin
: a protein hormone that is synthesized in the pancreas from proinsulin and secreted by the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans, that is essential for the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins, that regulates blood sugar levels by facilitating the uptake of glucose into tissues, by promoting its conversion into glycogen, fatty acids, and triglycerides, and by reducing the release of glucose from the liver, and that when produced in insufficient quantities results in diabetes mellitus — see iletin
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