Insulin is a protein hormone, specifically a small peptide made of amino acids arranged in two chains (A and B) linked by disulfide bonds.

Quick Scoop

  • Insulin is a peptide/protein hormone, not a steroid or lipid.
  • It is built from 51 amino acids in total, forming two polypeptide chains called the A chain (21 amino acids) and B chain (30 amino acids).
  • These two chains are held together by disulfide (sulfurā€“sulfur) bonds, which stabilize the moleculeā€™s 3D shape.

Mini breakdown

  1. Type of molecule
    • Insulin is a peptide hormone, meaning it is made from amino acids joined in a chain, so it is classified as a protein.
  1. Structure in simple terms
    • Two short amino-acid chains (A and B) connected by disulfide bridges form the active insulin hormone.
 * Together these chains make a single functional protein molecule that helps control blood glucose.

In everyday exam or homework wording, the best answer to ā€œwhat type of molecule is the hormone insulin made from?ā€ is:
ā€œInsulin is a peptide (protein) made of amino acids.ā€

TL;DR: Insulin is a peptide/protein hormone composed of amino acids arranged in two polypeptide chains linked by disulfide bonds.

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