Insulin is an anabolic hormone that allows glucose to enter cells and lowers blood glucose. Which option best describes its role?

Insulin is an anabolic hormone that allows glucose to enter cells and lowers blood glucose. Which option best describes its role?

• A. Catabolic hormone that increases glucose uptake
• B. Anabolic hormone that allows glucose to enter cells and lowers BG
• C. Hormone that increases blood glucose
• D. Hormone not involved in glucose regulation

Answer: (B)

Insulin acts as an anabolic hormone that promotes storage and uptake of glucose, thereby lowering circulating glucose levels. When blood glucose rises after a meal, insulin is released and signals cells—especially in muscle and adipose tissue—to take up glucose via GLUT4 transporters. In the liver, insulin encourages glycogen synthesis and suppresses glucose production. By moving glucose into cells and directing it into storage, blood glucose falls. That makes the description a perfect fit: it captures insulin’s anabolic nature, its role in enabling glucose entry into cells, and its effect of lowering blood glucose. The other ideas don’t align with insulin’s action: a catabolic hormone would promote breakdown and raise glucose, a hormone that increases blood glucose would contradict insulin’s effect, and a hormone not involved in glucose regulation is simply incorrect.

Insulin acts as an anabolic hormone that promotes storage and uptake of glucose, thereby lowering circulating glucose levels. When blood glucose rises after a meal, insulin is released and signals cells—especially in muscle and adipose tissue—to take up glucose via GLUT4 transporters. In the liver, insulin encourages glycogen synthesis and suppresses glucose production. By moving glucose into cells and directing it into storage, blood glucose falls.

That makes the description a perfect fit: it captures insulin’s anabolic nature, its role in enabling glucose entry into cells, and its effect of lowering blood glucose. The other ideas don’t align with insulin’s action: a catabolic hormone would promote breakdown and raise glucose, a hormone that increases blood glucose would contradict insulin’s effect, and a hormone not involved in glucose regulation is simply incorrect.