EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Insulin causes glucose to deposited in the liver as glycogen; then, during the next few hours, when blood glucose concentration falls, the liver releases glucose back into the blood, decreasing fluctuations. Clinical significance: During severe liver disease, it is impossible to maintain blood glucose concentration.

Detailed explanation-2: -The primary action of insulin is to stimulate glucose disappearance. Insulin helps control postprandial glucose in three ways. Initially, insulin signals the cells of insulin-sensitive peripheral tissues, primarily skeletal muscle, to increase their uptake of glucose.

Detailed explanation-3: -In terms of overall clearance and metabolism, the liver is responsible for more than half of the total insulin degradation, with kidney responsible for most of the rest.

Detailed explanation-4: -The liver exhibits a decrease in gluconeogenesis and increases in glycogenesis in response to the presence of insulin. Insulin’s effect stretches to lipid and protein metabolism as well. It stimulates lipogenesis and protein synthesis and conversely inhibits lipolysis and protein degradation.

Detailed explanation-5: -The kidney plays an important role in insulin metabolism and clearance. Insulin is filtered by the glomeruli and reabsorbed in the proximal tubule [87]. In normal subjects the renal clearance of insulin is about 200 mL/minute [88].