insulin
n. uncountablen. a hormone made by your body that controls the amount of sugar in your blood. People with diabetes may need to take it as a medicine to stay healthy.
n. a hormone produced in the pancreas that regulates the metabolism of carbohydrates by controlling blood glucose levels. Deficiencies in its production or use lead to diabetes mellitus.
The doctor checked his insulin levels during the physical exam.
Patients with type 1 diabetes must inject insulin daily because their bodies cannot produce the hormone naturally.
The mass production of synthetic human insulin via recombinant DNA technology revolutionized the treatment of metabolic disorders, replacing the previous reliance on animal-derived extracts.
From Latin īnsula (“island”) (named for the islets of Langerhans, where insulin is produced) + -in.
Uncountable when referring to the hormone generally; can be countable when referring to specific types or doses of the medication.