Main Entry: in·su·lin

Pronunciation: \ˈin(t)-s(ə-)lən\

Function: noun

Etymology: New Latin insula islet (of Langerhans), from Latin, island

Date: 1914

: a protein pancreatic hormone secreted by the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans that is essential especially for the metabolism of carbohydrates and the regulation of glucose levels in the blood and that when insufficiently produced results in diabetes mellitus