insulina

insulin

noun een-soo-LEE-nah Rare

Origin: From Latin insula (island), for the islets of Langerhans

Usage Note

Insulina is the hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates blood sugar; a person with type-1 diabetes must inject insulina daily. The word entered Spanish from modern scientific Latin in the early 20th century, shortly after the hormone's discovery in 1921.

Examples

"El médico le recetó insulina al paciente."

Natural Translation

The doctor prescribed insulin to the patient.

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