Final answer:
INSR stands for Insulin Receptor Protein, a tyrosine kinase transmembrane receptor essential for glucose uptake and metabolism. When insulin binds to the receptor, it activates pathways that increase glucose transport into cells; dysfunction in this process leads to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
Step-by-step explanation:
INSR stands for Insulin Receptor Protein. The insulin receptor is a transmembrane receptor that is activated by insulin, playing a critical role in the regulation of glucose uptake and metabolism. It is a tyrosine kinase receptor consisting of two alpha subunits and two beta subunits linked by disulfide bonds, encoded by the INSR gene.
The activation of the insulin receptor by insulin initiation of protein activation cascades, which are crucial in physiological processes such as the translocation of the Glut-4 transporter to the plasma membrane, glycogen synthesis, glycolysis, and fatty acid synthesis. When the system is functioning properly, glucose uptake by cells is efficient, whereas dysfunction, known as insulin resistance, can lead to type 2 diabetes, characterized by elevated blood glucose levels.
Insulin receptors also mediate their activity by causing the phosphorylation of certain proteins within a cell such as IRS-1 (Insulin Receptor Substrate-1), which eventually leads to an increased presence of Glut4 molecules on cell surfaces, increasing glucose uptake from the blood into tissues like muscle cells and adipose tissue.