Glucagon
/ˈɡlukəˌɡɑn/ noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A peptide hormone, produced by the pancreas, that opposes the action of insulin by stimulating the production of sugar
- 2 a hormone secreted by the pancreas; stimulates increases in blood sugar levels in the blood (thus opposing the action of insulin) wordnet
Synonyms
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More examples"The pump developed by researchers is a double pump — in addition to insulin, it automatically secretes glucagon, a hormone that taps glucose reserves in the liver, raising blood sugar levels when they get too low, a condition called hypoglycemia."
Etymology
From gluco- + Ancient Greek ἄγων (ágōn), present participle of ἄγω (ágō, “push forward, put in motion; stir up; excite, urge”). Alternatively, possibly gluco- + -a- + -gon.