British Sign Language Glossaries of Curriculum Terms

BSL Environmental Science Glossary - Insulin definition

Definition: The human body can control its blood sugar level. How? Our endocrine system and insulin.

When we eat, the level of blood sugar will rise. This will trigger a response in the pancreas, causing it to release a hormone called insulin into the bloodstream. This is the BSL sign for INSULIN.

Insulin, the hormone, will travel through the bloodstream towards the liver. On arrival, the liver will release enzymes to take up glucose from the bloodstream and store it as glycogen. Why is glucose converted to glycogen in the liver? Because glycogen is a larger molecule and is easier to keep in the liver. The smaller glucose molecules will return to the bloodstream if not stored as larger glycogen molecules. The body cells will also take up glucose from the bloodstream. This will help decrease the blood sugar levels, restoring balance in the body.