Chapter 46.2, Problem 1CC

Summary Introduction

To determine: The benefits of having GLUTs premanufactured and stored in intracellular vesicles.

Introduction: Glucose is a polar molecule and cannot cross the cell membrane. So, special proteins called glucose transporter proteins (GLUT) are responsible for the uptake of glucose by the cells. These proteins are present on the plasma membrane, and  are present inside the cells in the form of membrane-bound vesicles. The insulin is responsible for the movement of the GLUT proteins towards the cell membrane to maximize the influx of the glucose molecules.