What Insulin Does in the Body

Glucose is the sugar your cells burn for fuel. It travels through your blood to reach them.

Insulin is a hormone, a chemical messenger in your body. It works like a key that opens your cells so glucose can get in.

Your pancreas, an organ near your stomach, makes insulin, mostly after you eat.

When insulin is around, muscle and fat cells pull glucose out of the blood. Muscle cells burn it for energy.

Insulin also tells your liver to store extra glucose as glycogen, a stored sugar.

When insulin is low, the liver releases stored glucose into the blood.

Working insulin is insulin that can open your cells. When there is not enough of it, glucose stays in your blood.

Then glucose builds up in the blood, and cells run short on fuel. Your care team can explain how your own insulin is working.

Key takeaways

• Insulin is a hormone that your pancreas makes.
• It tells muscle, fat and liver cells to pull glucose from the blood, and tells the liver to store extra.
• Without enough working insulin, glucose stays in the blood and cells run short on fuel.

Try it

Name one carb food on your next plate, and say where its glucose goes next.