Question

Name a peptide hormone which acts mainly on hepatocytes, adipocytes and enhances cellular glucose uptake and utilization.

Answer 1

Hepatocytes:

1. Hepatocytes are cells of the liver while adipocytes are cells of adipose tissue.
2. These cells utilize glucose and transform it into glycogen and are stored in them.
3. The insulin hormone is responsible for this.
4. Insulin is a peptide hormone secreted by β-cells of the Islets of Langerhans present in the pancreas.
5. It is a hypoglycemic hormone.
6. It increases cellular uptake and utilisation of glucose as well as promotes glycogenesis, i.e. conversion of glucose into glycogen.
7. Insulin is involved in lowering the blood glucose level by increasing the uptake of glucose by the hepatocytes, adipocytes and muscle cells particularly.