How is insulin produced for injection by diabetics. If by animal, what kind.?

Answer 1

It's pigs that do the business for us ! ! !

Answer 2

There are different kinds of insulin. The older ones are pork or beef insulin - this is made by the animals and purified for use. It is on its way out (though some people are really unwell on the alternative).

The newer insulins are human insulin. The gene that makes a pancreas produce insulin is cut out of human dna and pasted into a bacteria's dna (to put it v simpily!) - yes this does mean that they are genetically modified bacteria. The bacteria are grown and the insulin they produce (which they secrete into the surounding liquid) is collected and purified.

The differences between the different insulins (long and short acting etc.) isn't about the actual insulin molecule but the way its prepaired, basically by changing the way it's absorbed following injection.

I'm not sure if the very modern analog insulins are made by gm bacteria or not - I think I heared somewhere that they are not, but I might be wrong about that! Anyway, hope that helps! xx

Answer 3

The vast majority of insulins produced in the last few years are synthetically produced human insulins. This has been done to reduce the level of adverse effects. There is still a little pork and beef insulin in use though.

Answer 4

Most insulin these days is produced by yeast cultures that have been genetically engineered to produce "human" insulin.

Insulin also used to be produced by refining by pork or beef products from the meat trade.

The yeast-derived insulin is exactly the same as the insulin produced in the human pancreas. The pig or cow insulin is very similar, but not exactly the same.

Answer 5

It's no longer pig or cow insulin I think.

I learned that they use a certain bacteria to produce insulin; they isolate the gene from the beta cells that produce it and use it to replace some genetic material in the bacterium, causing it to start producing insulin which can be isolated, sterilised and made available commercially.

Answer 6

Insulin is produced both by cattle and pigs; I don't know specific breeds, but I'd rather guess that they're a type that are specially bred for the purpose. Human insulin is also available that is produced these days by cultured pancreatic cells.

Answer 7

when doctors first diagnosed the disease the used to get the pancreas of sheep and then exctracted the insulin. But now they use GM bacterica to produce insulin this gives a pure source and is alot more cheap as they can produce gallons of the stuff

Answer 8

Commercial insulin is manufactured by inserting insulin producing gene into a yeast cell.

Answer 9

It's made from pig insulin, it is the closest form of insulin made from an animal that humans eat. So it's a win win.

Yes it's can be made from Bovine (cows) or Porcine (pigs). Bovine insulin differs from human in only three amino acid residues, and porcine insulin in one.

Answer 10

Many common natural remedies are claimed to have blood sugar lowering properties that make them useful for people with or at high risk of diabetes. Learn here https://tr.im/5DNNl

A number of clinical studies have been carried out in recent years that show potential links between herbal therapies and improved blood glucose control, which has led to an increase in people with diabetes using these more 'natural' ingredients to help manage their condition.

Answer 11

Animal insulin is no longer used. Look on the package, it usually says human rDNA or something of the like.