insulin

insulin A hormone that is made by the beta cells in the islets of Langerhans of the pancreas and that controls the amount of sugar (glucose) in the blood. Insulin helps the body use glucose for energy. Cells cannot utilize glucose without insulin. If the beta cells that make insulin degenerate, preventing the body from making enough insulin on its own, type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus results. A person with this type of diabetes must inject insulin from other sources, such as synthetic insulin. See also diabetes mellitus; diabetic shock.