Glucagon

Glucagon (3485 Da) is a 29 amino acid polypeptide. It is an important hormone involved in carbohydrate metabolism. The hormone is synthetised and secreted from alpha cells of the islets of Langerhans, which are located in the endocrine portion of the pancreas. It helps maintain the level of glucose in the blood by binding to glucagon receptors on hepatocytes, causing the liver to release glucose – stored in the form of glycogen – a process known as glycogenolysis. Glucagon encourages the liver to synthesize additional glucose by gluconeogenesis.