Which hormone is produced by the pancreas to lower blood glucose levels?

• A. Insulin
• B. Glucagon
• C. Anaphylaxis
• D. Polyphagia

Answer: (A)

Insulin, produced by the pancreatic beta cells, lowers blood glucose. After a meal, rising glucose levels trigger its release. Insulin promotes glucose uptake into muscle and fat cells by activating GLUT4 transporters, stimulates the liver to store glucose as glycogen (glycogenesis), and suppresses hepatic glucose production by inhibiting glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis. The net effect is a fall in blood glucose as cells take in and store glucose. If insulin is deficient or tissues are resistant to it, blood glucose remains high, as seen in diabetes. The other options don’t fit: glucagon raises blood glucose by promoting liver glucose output, while anaphylaxis is an allergic reaction and polyphagia is increased appetite, not a hormone.