MRCEM Notes

Insulin

Insulin and glucose transport

  • Glucose needs to be transported across the phospholipid bilayer into the cell so that it can be utilised (either for energy via ATP or stored as glycogen)
  • The phospholipid bilayer is virtually impermeable to glucose normally
  • Insulin binds to receptors on the cell and induces GLUT4 proteins
  • These glucose transporter proteins embed into the phospholipid bilayer and act like tunnels through which glucose can pass along its concentration gradient
  • This is an example of facilitated diffusion

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