What is glucagon?

Glucagon is a hormone involved in blood glucose regulation. When your blood glucose levels increase, for example after a meal, the rise is detected by the pancreas and a hormone called insulin is released from cells in teh islets of Langerhans. This travels all round the body and attaches to receptors on most of your body cells, increasing their uptake of glucose, which they use in respiration. Liver and muscle cells take up this glucose and store it as a large storage carbohydrate, called glycogen. When your blood glucose drops, for example after exercise, this is also detected by teh pancreas. This time GLUCAGON is released into the blood. This is carried around the body in the bloodstream and when it reaches liver cells, it attaches to receptors on teh cell surface membrane. This causes the stores of glycogen to be broken down, in a process called glycogenolysis (lysis means "to split"). It also promotes the formaiton of glucose (gluconeogenesis) and inhibits glycogen formation. All these actions increase the glucose levels in the blood.

Hi Orie,

Glucagon is a hormone that helps to control blood sugar levels. Specifically, it prevents blood glucose levels from dropping too low. Glucagon is produced by alpha cells, in the islet of langerhans, and released into the boodstream from the pancreas.

Glucagon stops blood glucose levels from dropping too low by acting on the liver in the following ways:

-stimulates glycogenolysis - the conversion of stored glycogen to glucose. Glucose is then released into the blood stream.

-stimulates gluconeogenesis - where amino acids are used to make glucose.

Glucagon also stimulates the breakdown of fat stores in adipose tissue.

Glucagon is a hormone that stimulates the breakdown of glycogen into glucose, increasing the blood-glucose concentration. It is produced in the Isle of Langerhans of the pancreas.

Glucagon plays an active role in allowing the body to regulate the utilisation of glucose and fats.

Glucagon is released in response to low blood glucose levels and to events whereby the body needs additional glucose, such as in response to vigorous exercise.

Glucagon is a hormone produced in the pancreas as a response to low levels of glucose in the blood. It promotes the breakdown of glycogen into glucose in the liver.

Glucagon is a hormone produced by the alpha cells in the islets of Langerhan cells in the pancreas and it signals to the liver to convert glycogen to glucose (glycogenolysis) which is then released into the bloodstream to increase the blood sugar level. It is released when the blood glucose level drops below normal levels, usually during strenuous exercise or when fasting.

A hormone that converts stored glycogen to glucose

Glucagon is a hormone in the body which causes stored glycogen to be converted into glucose. When blood sugar levels are low the pancreas releases glucagon into the bloodstream. This causes glycogen stores in the liver and muscles to break down into glucose (glycogen is simply a long chain of glucose molecules joined together). This release of glucose into the blood restores the blood sugar level back to normal.

Glucagon is hormone formed in the pancreas which promotes the breakdown of glycogen to glucose in the liver.