2007-04-12 09:29:15 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
A recombinant gene is inserted into bacteria (I believe E coli but am not sure) and the bacteria synthesize insulin that is the same as human insulin. It is purified and then used therapeutically.
2007-04-12 09:33:20 · answer #1 · answered by Troy 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Insulin is the hormone that helps regulate blood glucose in humans. It is made in a portion of the Pancreas called the islets of Langerhans. The pancreas produces several hormones; each islet has a population of beta cells that produce the insulin. Insulin acts to cause the liver and other tissues to take up glucose from the blood, so the level in the blood decreases.
2007-04-12 09:38:00 · answer #2 · answered by kt 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A USC professor was just explaining this to me the other day. To my knowledge it is made using stem cells and extracting the DNA code of human insulin from a human and letting it grow. He was explaining how stem-cell research could be used in great ways for science if only bush would not stop vetoing the bill.
Troy is corrected. E-coli is the right bacteria it is grown on
2007-04-12 09:34:43 · answer #3 · answered by Surfs Up Bra 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋